The Phoenix and the Wolverine
by clavina
Summary: Q junior's first foray into playing with humanity. So; he decides to throw in a couple of supposedly dead Xmen ; fleeing Colonials ; vengeful cylons and also adds the United Planets of the Federation to the potentially explosive mix !
1. Chapter 1

THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE.

PROLOGUE

Jean Grey; former teacher at Xavier Institute for the Gifted and former xman watched calmly as a metal hued man swung Wolverine at Magneto.

She could hear Wolverine's thoughts as he flew across the field as Beast crept towards Magneto's unprotected back.

"_Well now...that is sneaky; should we interfere Jean ?"_ asked the Phoenix flame as it burned within her.

No she thought to it; let's see how this plays out.

She watched as Magneto was injected with the neutralizing drug ; the horror on his face was obvious as he realized he was now a human.

She did nothing as he turned to her with a pleading look.

"This is what will become of us all."

She turned to see Wolverine staring at her; his thoughts were bare and all he cared about was for her safety.

"Jean...it's over."

The Phoenix within her was silent and seemed calmed by the look of love on Wolverine's face.

Jean was about to move forward when the angry and fearful thoughts of hundreds of US army soldiers assaulted her senses; they were coming over the bridge that Magneto had 'borrowed' to make a path to the Alcatrez institute.

The thoughts of the US army men were to subdue or kill all mutants and they were to start with her.

The Phoenix and Jean screamed silently in fury and Wolverine noticed something was wrong when he heard the soldiers approaching and what they were shouting.

"No! No! Hold your fire!" yelled Wolverine but his pleas fell on deaf ears and the soldiers fired as soon as they were in range.

Jean's eyes turned pure back and the hypodermic needles stopped in mid flight, they disintegrated as she turned; then she started taking out the soldiers row by row as Wolverine and Beast watched in horror.

Wolverine turned to Beast. "Evacuate everyone while you still can!"

"And what will you be doing?" yelled a familiar female voice; Wolverine turned to Ororo as she hovered 6 feet above the ground.

"What I have to...just get out of here!" Storm stared at him for a few more seconds before turning to help Beast with the panicking soldiers and surviving mutants.

No one paid any attention to the depowered Magneto as he stared at the disaster he had unleashed before he forced himself to stand and run away with the survivors.

Wolverine turned back to face the telephath.

"Jean! I know you're still in there!" he yelled in pain as his voice drew her attention and she began to strip layers of his skin off him.

He doggedly made his way to Jean as structures disintegrated around her.

He could feel blistering burning pain with each heavy step; as his skin tried to regenerate as quickly as possible.

He groaned in pain as his regeneration struggled to keep up, if this kept on any longer ; he would die.

"You would die for them," snarled Jean as he came closer.

"No!" he yelled " not for them... for you!"

Something changed in her eyes as she looked into his mind and heart. She could see he spoke the truth. Jean felt the phoenix fade away; leaving her in control for a few precious seconds.

She knew what he had to do.

"Save me," tears ran down her face as she looked into Wolverine's tear-filled eyes.

He nodded stiffly. " I love you!" then he plunged three adamantium claws into her heart. Her face stiffened with pain then she smiled before the light went out of her eyes.

Wolverine held her and screamed in sorrow and despair.

"Pause," said a young male voice; suddenly everything was frozen in time as a young male teenager appeared dressed in a red and black uniform with a Starfleet combadge on the upper left side of his chest.

He turned to the only other person who was not frozen in time.

"So father; what do you think ?"

There was silence for several seconds as the second person took in the frozen disaster around him.

"Well for one thing, this lady doesn't do things by half ; when she's in the mood to destroy she goes all out...however my question to you junior is what are we doing here ?" asked an older version of the young man.

He was also wearing a red and black uniform with a Starfleet combadge; most of his race and a good number of the high ranking officials in Starfleet knew him as the dreaded 'Q'.

Q junior sighed. "I mean look at this...we, I mean I can do some good here."

Q senior looked at his son and had a sinking feeling what his offspring was about to suggest.

" Son..." he started.

"Dad; we can intervene here...she has tremendous potential to do good and change the fortunes of other less fortunate beings," he spoke over his father's voice.

Q stared. "What are you proposing to do son ?"

Q junior told him. Q senior stared at him in shock before replying.

"Absolutely not!"

"Why not ?" protested Q junior.

"You want to give the powers of a Q to her ?" he pointed at the frozen dying form of Jean Grey. "Have you seen the destruction she unleashed in less than 30 seconds ? Then try to imagine what she could do with one hundredth of your power!"

Q Junior rolled his eyes. "Dad; she will be using it to help the other group."

Q senior gave his son a scathing look that did not faze him. " Oh; you mean those idiots who created robots, mistreated them, then went to war against them and crossed the Armistice Line which triggered a nuclear attack which led to the deaths of 20 billion lives ? Surely you're not serious!"

"Goodness; can't I get any peace and quiet on my time off ?" The two Q males turned towards a female Q who had appeared beside Q junior. She was wearing the same red and black uniform as the two male Qs.

"Hi mum, "greeted Q junior cheerfully.

It was the turn of Q senior to roll his eyes. "You always have time off dear; how is this one more ...special!"

The female Q sighed. " Okay boys; what are you two up to ?"

"Nothing," replied father and son at the same time.

She gave them each a suspicious look. " Oh really," she took a look around her; noting the devastation and quickly realizing who was the cause of all the chaos.

"My, my; she is quite a strong one," she said approvingly.

"Exactly my thoughts mum and she should be given the opportunity to do a lot more," jumped in Q junior eagerly.

His mum looked at him closely. "What are you planning ?"

Q senior laughed dryly. "You're going to love his ideas."

Q junior glared at his father before stating his intentions. To his surprise his mum took it quite calmly; his father was beginning to look worried as his wife turned back to regard the frozen Jean grey with a speculative gleam in her eye.

"Your plan sounds...interesting," her son opened his mouth to talk " but," continued his mum over his unsaid words " she can't have any of our powers. She is not mature enough...not like Aunt Janeway."

Q junior closed his mouth as he tried to compare the telepath with his most favourite aunt and only godmother. In the end he had to agree; Aunt Janeway was a lot more level headed.

Q senior released a sigh of relief. "Thank the heavens we agree on something; but what will you do next junior ?"

"Huh ?" asked Q junior as he noticed both parents were looking at him.

"This is your intervention; we can only offer advice but this operation is officially your baby " said his mum.

Q junior winced at the word baby.

"Oh yes, baby is the right word my son; because once you start on this path, it will grow, take its first baby steps and may tend to run away from you. This might be a game to a Q but for the participants...this will be their lives in the palm of your hand," said his mum solemnly as she walked up to her son.

"She's right son; so do you still want to...intervene ?" Q senior folded his arms and waited for his son's reply.

Q junior said nothing; he looked at the frozen forms of Jean Grey and Wolverine for several moments.

His gaze was especially drawn to the anguish on Wolverine's face as he screamed at the heavens. He turned back to his parents.

"I have made my decision."

I

The scene unfroze and anyone looking at that moment would have seen a blinding flash around the two figures of Jean Grey and Wolverine. When the light faded; the two figures were gone.

During the next few weeks; two additional tombstones were added to the others on the lawn of Xavier's school for the gifted.

The names engraved on the two were Jean Grey and Wolverine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 1 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE

II

_Fire; flames; dead soldiers in uniform. _

_She could see the bodies as she walked among them; but there was one she was searching for._

_He had to be here...she could not remember his name; it seemed to linger just out of reach. _

_Then she saw a familiar body; it was that of a man; covered in dust and blood. He was lying on his side facing the other way._

_She felt a sob escape her throat as she ran to him; she knelt down and turned him towards her; praying he lived._

_His chest barely rose; his face was ashen as blood ran from his mouth. He was not long for this plane of existence._

"_Please! Please speak to me!" cried Jean._

_The man known as Wolverine opened his eyes. _

"_Jean..." his voice was so weak "I said...I would die for you," then he smiled and died in her arms._

_Jean stared at him in shock then started screaming. _

_At that point; everything started exploding around her._

III

Jean woke up screaming and in a blind panic.

She was in a glass covered pod; she pounded the covering frantically and continued to hit out when the top cover began to retract slowly.

"Dr Grey! Please calm down."

Jean ignored the voice and was still screaming when firm hands gripped her shoulders and shook her.

She pushed the hands away as they helped her sit up.

When the pressure was gone; she stopped screaming; her throat now sore from exhaustion. She quickly opened her eyes as her heart pounded furiously; she tried in vain to control her breathing as she looked at herself and around her.

She was wearing a one piece stretchy white jumpsuit; the room's floor and walls were white and gleaming.

She could see she was in a bed which seemed to protrude from the wall; on her right were 2 large covered pods. That seemed to be the only thing in the huge room.

She could sense their minds of the nearby occupants of the two pads and one of them was very familiar to her.

Jean felt her heart rate slow down as she tried to lean over to see who was in the pod closet to her.

"May I be of assistance?"

The young male voice that came from her left side almost had her jumping out of her bed.

She turned quickly to face a young male teenager. He had curly dark brown hair; was slim and tall. He wore a red plaid shirt tucked into a pair of dark blue jeans. She guessed his age would be around 15 or 16 years old.

At once she realized he was very odd.

That was because she could not sense him at all.

"Who...are you ?" she asked warily.

The boy smiled earnestly. " I am your medical assistant and also your engineer. My designation is ...Q Junior."

Jean frowned at his words; her instinct was that something was off about her surroundings. She gingerly tried to get out of her bed.

The boy called 'Q Junior' came forward to help her.

"May I assist you ?" he asked again.

Jean hesitated; her first thought was to refuse; but she felt so exhausted.

"Yes; you may," she said.

Q Junior grabbed her left forearm and gently helped her off the bed.

Jean touched his hand; desperately hoping to hear or feel his thoughts; she could barely hide her shock when she still felt nothing from the boy beside her.

Once her feet touched the pristine white floor; she felt strength gradually returning to her legs. She thanked Q Junior for his help and moved away from him; trying to get a feel of her environment.

At the moment; she could only feel the two other minds still asleep in the two covered pods beside her's.

She turned to face the boy.

"Okay ...Q Junior; where are we?"

She saw him swallow nervously before replying.

"We're in the medical bay on board the spaceship _Xavier_; we're in space about 5 months away from Earth's solar system."

His words were met with dead silence.

Jean stared at him and was convinced for several seconds that she was either having another nightmare or having an extremely bad nervous breakdown.

"You have got to be kidding," she stated blankly.

Q Junior said nothing; he just maintained eye contact.

Jean was the first to look away; something was seriously wrong...there was something else she should be thinking about.

"Dr Grey; what do you remember?"

Her head jerked up to look at Q Junior in fear. " What...?"

"I said; what do you remember last before you ...fell asleep?" asked Q Junior tentatively.

Jean stared at him as memories that had been buried slowly rose to the surface.

_The Phoenix...Scott; Professor Xavier; the Institute; Magneto and the Golden gate bridge...Wolverine; flashing claws; excruciating pain and peace._

"Oh God no!" cried Jean as she felt her knees give way; she did not notice the pods quivering and shaking beside her as she unknowingly began to unleash her telekinectic powers.

"Dr Grey," called Q Junior a bit nervously. She did not hear him as she wallowed in her grief.

"DR GREY!" yelled the boy again.

Instantly the shaking of the pods stopped as his shout drew her attention and powers to the boy infront of her.

However her abilities had no effect on him.

"I believe one of the other passengers is about to wake up."

That was when she heard the hissing sound of the second pod covering sliding back.

Jean pulled herself up. "Who is it...who else...?"

"His name is Wolverine," said Q Junior gently.

Jean stared at Q for a millisecond and quickly moved round to watch the pod cover slide back the rest of the way.

She stood there for an eternity as she watched the man she begged to kill her.

He looked so peacefully asleep; she felt her hand going to touch his bearded face. Then he began to stir. She drew her hand back.

She knew how he badly he reacted when woken up suddenly.

Wolverine opened his eyes slowly and the first person's face he saw was Jean Grey's.

She was supposed to be dead. He was the one who killed her.

"Jean ?" he asked in a rough voice. He had to be dreaming.

"Its' not a dream Wolverine," said Jean. She moved back slowly as he sat up on his bed. He was wearing the same one piece white jumpsuit she had.

Wolverine looked at her in shock and looked at himself.

"Where the hell are we?"

Jean could hear and feel the panic in his voice and thoughts.

"I ...don't know Wolverine."

Wolverine then noticed Q junior.

"Who are you?" the xman found his strength recovering as he quickly got out of the bed. He started flexing his hands; ready at a moment's notice to produce his adamantium claws if needed.

Q junior stared at him. " My designation is Q junior; I am Dr Grey's medical assistant and the current engineer of the space ship _Xavier._"

His last words caught Wolverine's attention. He raised an eyebrow.

"The _Xavier_ ?" he asked in a surprised tone.

"Yes sir; we are currently aboard her...and we are in space as well."

Wolverine stared at him for several seconds then turned to Jean with a sceptical look on his face. "I don't buy it."

Q junior could not help but sigh. " Then let me show you. Ship please change hull consistency to see-through for viewing."

"Acknowledged," said a soft male voice which seemed to come from around them. Q junior turned back to the 2 mutants and could see them regarding the surroundings with suspicion.

"What was that?" asked Wolverine as he walked up to Q junior.

"The ship's computer; he responds to verbal commands."

Wolverine raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Wolverine; I think you better look at this," said Jean in a very worried voice.

The xman turned back to see that a wall of the ship had become translucent and showed stars zipping past in whitish lines against a dark background.

"We're at warp speed 9; that is what space looks like in wrap drive," said Q junior. Jean turned to stare at him.

She was beginning to wonder if this boy was telephatic; for he just answered her one of her many unspoken question.

"What are you... are you a mutant?" asked Jean.

Q junior shook his head. " I am an Emergency Medical and Engineering Hologram; aka EMEH beta. I was specifically assigned to assist the 3 living crew members."

"Wait; you're not human ?" asked Wolverine in surprise.

He tried to grab Q junior and was astonished when his right hand went through him. Q junior grinned at him.

" I can solidify and phase at will," he demonstrated by grabbing Wolverine's right hand and shaking it briefly before letting it go. "I have to be able to do so ; if not I would not be able to assist in treating patients or maintaining the ship's engines."

"Alright...but I knew a girl who could do the same thing and she was a mutant" said Wolverine warily; he had many questions to ask but one stood out in his mind " I'm still not convinced we are in space...but I heard you mention a third crew member."

He turned to look at the third covered pod.

"Who is in there?"

Before Q junior could reply; there was a slight hissing sound and the third pod cover began to retract to show the final occupant.

"We're about to find out," said Jean in a wary voice as she walked towards the pod. The mind was both strange and a bit familiar and the images she was getting ; were very...disturbing.

III

Q junior watched a bit anxiously as the third pod slowly opened.

He was replaying what had happened 30 minutes before he donned his 'EMEH beta' persona.

_**The ship was complete and stationary in a specific point in space; ready to move at his command. He had checked on the 2 stasis pods.**_

_**Jean and Wolverine were sleeping peacefully ; however it looked like Jean had entered an REM phase of her slumber.**_

_**He wondered what she was dreaming about.**_

"_**Hello Junior," said a familiar voice.**_

_**He turned to face his father; Q senior.**_

"_**I'm just about to set things off; dad."**_

_**Q gave his son a quizzical look. "Nervous ?"**_

_**His son took a deep breath and nodded quickly.**_

"_**Good...because if you weren't I would be very worried," said Q senior.**_

_**Q junior rolled his eyes. "What ever; by the by what brings you out in the open? I thought we agreed you would stay in the side lines and do nothing."**_

_**Q senior snorted. " I'm not really interfering...however I took a brief trip while you were arranging things and I came across someone very interesting."**_

_**Q junior frowned and folded his arms. "Dad; who have you been spying on ?"**_

"_**Oh lots of people and different timelines...would you like to see who I'm talking about or would you rather get on with your experiment ?"**_

_**Q junior sighed. " It's not an experiment...it's an intervention and yes I would like to see who you are talking about because you have now got me curious."**_

_**Q senior grinned evilly. "Are you sure...I mean I now you are busy.."**_

"_**Dad!" cried Q junior; now fully understanding how childish his father could be at times; Captain Picard and his god mother Aunt Janeway had his sympathy.**_

"_**Okay; if you insist," said Q senior with a long suffering sigh. He snapped his fingers and a holographic form of a young human girl appeared; numbers appeared above her head.**_

_**Q junior stared at them and gave his father a puzzled look.**_

"_**Her designation and her age...and the rest is what has been done to her," said Q senior with a solemn cold tone.**_

_**Q junior turned back to the images .**_

_**He was silent for several seconds as pictures of the girl's life appeared right next to her.**_

_**When it was over; he turned back to his father. Q Junior was furious.**_

"_**She will be included father."**_

Q junior's mind returned to the present as Jean and Wolverine moved closer to the slowly opening pod.

"Her designation is X23; also known as Laura Kinney; she's 13 years and 4 months old ...and she also awake."

Wolverine looked back at the girl child; she was clad in the same white jumpsuit. She looked asleep; but his keen ears had picked up the change in her heart rate. He moved forward; only to be stopped by Jean's outstretched left fore-arm. He looked at her to see her shaking her head from side to side.

Jean was the nearest; she was standing at the foot of the third pod.

"Child; we know you are awake."

The words were barely out of her mouth when the child rapidly sat up and propelled herself out of the bed with her arms extended towards Jean's chest; there was a distinct _'snikt' _ sound that Wolverine was all too familiar with.

"No!" screamed Wolverine as he saw adamantium claws sprout from the back of the young girl's hands. He began to move forward only to find himself locked in place.

As for the young female mutant she was also frozen in mid jump; one of the claws was at exactly one centimetre from Jean's chest.

The only people not affected were Jean Grey and Q junior.

Jean tilted her head to the one side as she regarded the frozen mutant in the air. She had waist length raven black hair; the same hue as Wolverine's and she also shared the same blue-grey eye colour.

Unlike wolverine she had 2 claws in the back of each hand and they measured roughly 12inches (30.9cm) long.

"Incredible," said Jean in astonishment.

"_You can say that again," agreed the Phoenix._

Jean Grey's control almost faltered as the _other_ presence in her became fully aware. At the moment; it seemed sleepy...and content to leave Jean in control.

Only God knew how long that would last.

"Now that you all are now awake; I expect you have questions."

Jean turned back to see Q Junior rubbing his hands in glee.

"There's a lot that has happened while you were asleep; welcome to the 24th century."

**Hi everyone; sorry about the late posting; just completed 4 days of night shifts and it's my 1****st**** day off. **

**This is a crossover of xmen:last stand; X23( marvel comics); star trek and battlestar galactic 2003. My next chapter will have the Earth timeline. That took a bit of searching to do and I also changed some dates in the star trek timeline so that it will all make some sort of sense.**

**Hope you like it! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING! **

**Please read and review and thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE.

IV

Wolverine stood frozen in place by Jean's telekinectic power as he watched her regard the young mutant girl who was frozen in a mid leap.

He saw the metallic claws and resisted the urge to scream and curse; this smelt like Stryker's work all over again.

He was determined to get to the bottom of this; even if he had to kill to do so.

"Now that you all are now awake; I expect you have questions."

Wolverine could move his eyes to see Q Junior rubbing his hands in glee.

"There's a lot that has happened while you were asleep; welcome to the 24th century."

First he had to get free.

"Jean...please release me." Wolverine tried to keep his voice as calm as possible; the last thing he wanted was to awaken the _other_ part of her.

"Oh sorry Wolverine," said Jean as she turned back to him and he suddenly realized he could move " and _she's_ already awake."

Wolverine stayed still; he didn't need to be a psychic to know that Jean was talking about the dark part of her.

"She's called the Phoenix," said Jean in a distracted tone as she continued to observe the still frozen girl.

"Uh hello," called Q Junior; drawing Wolverine's attention.

"You," snarled Wolverine as he walked up to the EMEH hologram; he wished he could physically wring the hologram's neck.

"What is going on here and who is that?" he pointed back at the frozen girl in mid flight.

Q junior looked at the angry xman and chose his words with care.

"She's a mutant just like you and...she has your DNA."

Wolverine looked ready to explode. "What did you say ?" he asked in a deadly voice.

"I'm going to release her," said Jean; startling Q junior and Wolverine.

"Excellent!" said Q Junior happily.

"Not such a good idea ! " shouted Wolverine at the same time.

Jean looked at the two males; one organic and the other a computer matrix.

"Yes it is; someone or...something brought us here for a reason and she is entitled to any information that is available."

Q Junior nodded while Wolverine shook his head.

"She just tried to kill you Jean."

Jean looked at him for several moments; he was the first to look away.

"I know the risk Logan."

She turned back to stare into the frozen girl's eyes.

"_**Child; we do not wish to harm you; we just woke up like you did. I am about to release you...but if you make any attempt to attack Wolverine or me...or Q Junior. I will put you back in that pod. Is that understood ?"**_

Q junior and Wolverine were wisely silent while Jean was communicating telepathically with the mutant girl child.

After what seemed like an eternity Jean moved out of the way and 'unfroze' the girl.

The mutant child completed the leap and turned once in the air before hitting the floor rolling; then she turned in her bent position to face all three of them; her claws still extended.

She stared at them for several seconds; breathing heavily.

Wolverine could smell anger...and fear.

That forced him to relax and not to extend his claws. Finally the girl's gaze settled on him and her eyes widened in surprise and some sort of recognition. Then her eyes narrowed in dark suspicion.

"_**Logan; you better say something."**_

Wolverine did not look at Jean as her mind left his.

"Laura...Jean is right; we are in the same position as you...we mean you no harm. We are just as keen to find how we got here and how to get back home," he paused "Q Junior was just about to share some information with us; would you like to join us ?"

The girl stared at them for a long time; then began to straighten up as the claws retracted slowly.

Wolverine was not fooled for a second; he knew how fast they could be extended again; he had an almost identical set himself.

Laura Kinney aka X23 spoke for the first time since she woke up.

"Okay," she said in a calm voice keeping a wary look on Wolverine.

Wolverine still kept his eyes on her as he spoke to Q Junior.

"Junior; you're up."

IV

5 minutes later.

It took some doing but Q junior was able to convince them to sit down on stools which rose out of the white pristine floor.

Q Junior watched as Wolverine placed himself between the two women when they sat down. Jean seemed amused by his protective manner.

While Wolverine restrained himself from looking at Laura before she was tempted to claw his eyes out.

"Alright Q Junior; we're seated," said Jean; she had several questions she wanted to ask ; like what year it was exactly.

She thought Q junior had said '24th century;' but she must have misheard that.

Q Junior's opening words corrected her at once.

"The Earth year is 2382 and as I said earlier we are approximately 5 months away from the Milky Way Galaxy...if we take a direct route.

As I also said before my designation is Q Junior; I am an Emergency Medical and Engineering Hologram beta ," he paused " EMEH for short."

This was said for Laura's benefit; she had been truly asleep when he introduced himself to Dr Grey and Wolverine much earlier.

"Just skip to the relevant parts," growled Wolverine darkly.

For the first Jean saw a look of annoyance cross the Hologram's face.

"What exactly would you like me to skip? The immediate aftermath of the Alcatrez Incident ? Laura Kinney's background history," the girl sat up straighter "or your own background history before you lost your memory ?

Q Junior glared at a stunned Wolverine and waited for his response.

The xman stared at the hologram; then glanced at the two females on either side. They were also glaring at him.

"Fine...please continue."

"Thank you," said Q Junior stiffly before producing an object that looked like a TV remote controller. He moved to the left side and pointed the remote to the space directly before the 3 seated nervous mutants.

A holographic projection of a huge white screen came up; on it was Jean's face; with streams of data running on the left side of the screen.

"I'll start with Dr Jean Grey; I will state only relevant information; each of you will be have full access to your individual records."

The tension reduced a bit.

Q Junior continued. "Dr Jean Grey; born November 6th; 1979; aged 27years at the time of her disappearance in 2006 at the Alcatrez incident.

Occupation; a medical doctor and research analyst; she was in charge of the medical facility at the Xavier Institute For Gifted Youngsters and also did accident and emergency shifts at the nearby St Mary's Hospital."

"Her abilities are telekinesis and telepathy; power levels...vary from moderate to extremely high."

Jean watched him intently; wondering how much information was going to be shared with the others.

She was relieved when Q Junior moved on to the next person.

"Wolverine; also originally known as James Logan Howlett; born in northern Canada in the year 1833."

Jean glanced at Logan ; the xman's gaze was riveted on the screen in-front of him. Q Junior kept talking.

"His biological brother is or was also a mutant; known as Sabertooth or Victor Creed," Wolverine turned to stare at Q Junior.

"They both served in the Civil War as Union soldiers; then in World War One and Two as US soldiers in the US Army; then in Vietnam as US marines.

Certain events in Vietnam led to both of them joining a mutant team that was working for a then Major William Stryker in 1973...I shall not go into detail as to what operations they went on."

Q Junior hurried on as he saw a murderous look appear on Wolverine's face .

"It's best if you read it yourself sir," the last word had the mutant staring at the hologram in a bit of surprise.

Q Junior felt like kicking himself for calling Wolverine 'sir.'

Now; he would have to keep reminding himself to say it each time he addressed the former xman.

"Anyway; as I was saying; due to certain work ethics...Logan aka Wolverine left the team and shortly afterwards Logan started a relationship with Kayla Silverfox.

However; in 1979 certain events led to Logan going back to work for a then Colonel William Stryker..."

"Why did I go back ?" interrupted Wolverine; he wanted to know what kind of hold Stryker had on him at the time.

Q Junior stared at him. "It is a pretty personal reason sir."

"I want to hear it," demanded Wolverine in a deadly tone.

Q Junior regarded him for a few seconds then answered.

" Colonel Stryker asked you to rejoin him in August 1979 and you refused...so he secretly had Sabertooth; your brother ; fake Silverfox's death thus giving you the incentive to seek out the Colonel."

"Why?"

All three turned to face Laura Kinney; who had spoken for the first time since the presentation started.

"Stryker was keen to get genetic material from Logan and also try out an adamantium skeletal bonding procedure.

Many of his previous subjects had died horribly and he also wanted a mind controlled killing machine. He was sure Logan would be the perfect candidate."

Q Junior paused as Logan ran a hand through his hair; he could hear him muttering. "This is insane."

"Go on," said Jean; the Phoenix was fully awake now and paying close attention.

It was also telling her that the information was very important.

The Phoenix may be a psychopath but her instincts were never wrong.

Q Junior spared one more look for Logan and continued.

"In September 1979 the genetic material was collected and the adamantium bonding was a success; but the attempt to brainwash Wolverine was a complete unmitigated disaster as the subject escaped; cutting down any guards who tried to stop him," Q junior stopped when he saw the brief smile that appeared on Laura's face. It had been there for barely a second.

Logan noticed the hesitation and looked at Q Junior and a now expressionless Laura Kinney.

" What ?"

"Oh nothing, " said Q Junior wisely as he continued talking .

"Logan who was now known as Weapon X; eventually found out that he had been tricked by his brother and Stryker and he also confronted Silverfox who had been coerced in tricking him."

"How was she coerced?" asked Jean.

"Kayla Silverfox was an empath and also a low level telepath; her younger sister, Emma was also a mutant with the ability to change her skin to diamond hard consistency.

Stryker kidnapped her sister to collect genetic material which he wanted to use to make a super soldier. She was one of scores of mutant children held captive for experimental purposes."

"Jesus Christ," muttered Wolverine. He didn't want to believe what he was hearing; but some gut feeling told him that it was real.

William Stryker was certainly capable of such.

Laura Kinney said nothing; she was already regretting the single question she asked and the brief smile that Q Junior had noticed.

For a computer program he was damn too observant.

Q Junior resumed his presentation. "Stryker ordered Sabertooth to terminate Silverfox; Wolverine stopped him and helped her free the mutant children who were still alive.

However; the already collected genetic material had been used to augment and change another mutant.

This brainwashed individual who went by the name Deadpool was ordered to terminate Wolverine ; Silverfox and the children."

Q Junior paused he looked a bit tired.

"Summary of it all is that Sabertooth came back and helped his brother defeat Deadpool.

The children escaped but Silverfox was shot in the process.

As Wolverine tried to get her to safety; Colonel Stryker shot him in the head with 3 adamantium bullets."

Q Junior looked at Logan.

"Sir; you lost consciousness and Silverfox bled to death a few feet away from you...I believe when you eventually awoke; you had lost your memory due to the brain damage cause by the adamantium. I am sorry for your loss."

There was silence for a long time.

"October 12th 1979; that's the day my memory starts...there was a dead woman not far from me...and a guy who came up to me...he said...he knew me.

I didn't know who he was...I could not recall my name...so I told him to get lost and I walked away."

Jean looked at Logan; he looked awful; Laura's expression was still but Jean could sense what she was feeling.

Understanding...and concern?

"Q Junior; we need a break. Is there some water we can drink ?" asked Jean.

"Of cause; let me show you how to get some," said Q Junior as he walked to a table which had appeared silently behind the 3 mutants.

On it was a box like device with smooth sides; it looked like a micro-wave without the door.

The looks on Wolverine and Laura's faces changed to identical expressions of suspicion. Jean wondered if they realized how alike they were in behaviour.

"This is a replicator; it can be used to synthesize food and water or certain drinks. Please note that any alcohols synthesized will not have the same effect as the alcohol of the 21 century. What would you like?"

In the end; all 3 humans wanted water; he watched as Wolverine told the females to wait while he 'checked out' the water.

Q Junior hid a grin as Wolverine waited for any 'disastrous' effects; when nothing happened; he nodded at the females to drink.

They both gave him a wry look as they sipped their glasses of water.

Q Junior showed them how to activate the device for future use then they returned to their seats.

"Well what happened next in Mr Logan's life is history...he met Professor X and the rest of the Xmen and certain event's led to the Alcatrez Incident: which I will explain fully later."

He waved the remote and the face on the screen changed to show Laura Kinney's face.

Logan felt the girl tense up beside him and his senses went into hyper-alert mode.

Q junior started talking.

"In 1990; Colonel William Stryker recruited Dr Martin Sutter; Dr Zander Rice and Dr Sarah Kinney to re-start the Weapon X program.

However due to the fight between Logan ,Sabertooth and Deadpool in 1979; the surviving material was badly damaged; thus the 1st 22 attempts at cloning Logan did not succeed.

Dr Sarah Kinney had a new idea of combining Logan's genetic material with a female embryo. The idea was rejected and she then decided to do it on her own.

This 23rd attempt was a success but Dr Kinney had to act as the surrogate and carried the foetus to term; a baby girl was born on January 30th 1993; her designation was X23; but her mother's name for her was Laura Kinney."

He paused for the information to sink in.

Laura turned slowly to see Jean and Wolverine staring at her.

Logan was in shock; while Jean just looked at her with sadness; the telepath had known a bit of what Q Junior just revealed.

When Jean first became aware of Laura's mind; certain images had jumped out. Jean could have found out more if she delved deeper but she resisted the temptation and decided to wait.

"Laura Kinney's guardian met her death on May 3rd 2006 in a... questionable accident and in the following week; Laura underwent a full skeletal adamantium bonding."

"It was not an accident; she was murdered," said Laura in a voice that seemed on the verge of screaming.

"I am also sorry for your loss," said Q Junior solemnly.

"It was from that period that you were _**taken**_. You may be pleased to know that in June 2006 Colonel William Stryker drowned when a water dam wall he was chained to collapsed."

"Are you certain?" asked Laura coldly.

Logan looked at her. "Yeah; the last time I saw him he was securely wrapped from head to tail in a thick chain attached to an about-to- collapse dam wall."

Laura stared at him for a while. " You did that?"

Logan grinned coldly. " You have Magneto to thank for that."

The xman had been fairly certain it was Magneto's work; his stench had been all over the place.

Laura allowed a small smile to appear on her face. " Then I am pleased...for now."

Q Junior shook his head minutely; the human's capacity for bloodshed was astonishing and...worrying.

"Q Junior," called Jean who had been watching him closely " there must be a reason you have shared this information with us."

The hologram turned to her. " Yes; there is," he paused then picked his next words with care.

"3 of you will be on the ship for a while and I hoped knowing a bit of each other will make the trip back to Earth easier...but before I show you the rest of the ship. I have to give you a brief '_**history**_' of what occurred in the last 376 years."

He waved the remote again and Laura Kinney's face was replaced with a date and a picture of a bridge connected to an island.

Jean and Logan recognized it at once.

"On October 11th 2006 The Worthington Alcatrez Mutant Research Institute was attacked by a large group of mutants led by Magneto...and Dr Jean Grey; this group was stopped and subsequently defeated by a much smaller group of mutants which consisted of Storm; Wolverine; Beast; Kitty Pyrde; Iceman and Colossus."

Laura gave Wolverine and Jean an interested glance as Q Junior showed scenes of devastation around the Institute.

"The cause of the battle was the 'Mutant Cure'; at the end; Wolverine aka Logan and Dr Jean Grey disappeared; a search went on for years by both friends and government officials and their bodies were never found.

In that same year; DrHank McCoy became the 1st mutant to be a US ambassador to the United Nations."

A picture of a blue furred large mutant in a suit appeared to be addressing delegates at the UN.

Logan's eyebrows rose. " Way to go furball," he said approvingly.

Even Jean smiled at the comment.

"In 2008; it was eventually discovered that the 'Cure' did not work and that the mutants who had been treated eventually recovered their powers."

The next pictures showed 2 groups of protesters in the streets; humans demanding for mutants to be caged or destroyed and the second group was of mutants demanding to be addressed as equals.

"At this point; the United States was close to breaking point and the unrest had spread to other countries."

"No shit Sherlock," said Logan bitterly as he took in the scenes of rioting and destruction. The hologram kept talking.

"Senators; political figures and world leaders started calling for global registration and control of mutants."

Jean closed her eyes briefly wondering which idiots had been behind that idea; Laura looked on silently with a hard gleam in her eyes.

"But there was another faction at work. In 2012 the Eugenics war began.

Military companies had been working on creating superhuman soldiers who were not mutants; they were simply faster; stronger and more intelligent.

There were valid reports that these 'super-human sentinels or eugenics' were created to 'solve the mutant problem'.

However; these super soldiers then decided that the rest of the world was beneath them; be they human or mutant.

They turned on the humans who created them...and the humans had to turn to the mutants to save them. The war lasted 4 years.

The Mutant Registration Act was finally thrown out of the senate in 2022."

Logan exchanged a relieved look with Jean.

" How many died?" asked Laura in a detached voice.

Q Junior gave her an odd look. " 37 million lives were lost."

Jean and Logan stared at him in shock.

Somehow; they knew that death toll included both humans and mutants.

"Things got worse when in 2049; World War III broke out.

This time; it was between factions of companies that controlled entire countries; it involved nuclear weapons and biochemical warfare," Q Junior became silent as he showed screen after screen of mushroom clouds; starving and dying refugees; desolate landscapes and destroyed cities.

"It lasted till 2053; by that time the death toll was over 600 million; and countless others were affected adversely by radiation poisoning."

Jean's right hand covered her mouth; she felt like she was about to be sick.

"That's impossible," whispered Wolverine.

The hologram who looked like a teenager stared at him with solemn mature eyes.

"Sir; I'm afraid it's not."

Q Junior waved the remote again and the screen changed to show a slim pretty woman with deep red shoulder length hair ; dark blue skin and green eyes. She was wearing a grey skirt suit.

"Annabella McCoy-Burton; she became the 1st mutant and 2nd female president of the United States in the year 2061. At this time; many of the survivors of the war and more of their descendents had the mutant gene. Possibly due to the fallout from the WWIII."

Wolverine and Jean stared at the image in shock; even Laura blinked several times to be sure of what she was looking at.

"That's furball's kid? You have got to be joking," said Logan.

Q Junior grinned. " I kid you not; she was president and she is one of his descendents. 2 years after her inauguration; Zefram Cochrane was the first human to invent the wrap drive; a faster then light propulsion system.

This drew the attention of a Vulcan Research Team who were passing by and they initiated 1st contact."

The picture of President McCoy-Burton changed to show a wizened slim man dressed in furs and shaking hands with humanoids with pointed ears and expressionless faces.

" You mean aliens?" asked Logan when Q Junior paused.

The hologram clapped mockingly. " Very good sir; yes aliens."

"This changed everything for Earth; the Vulcans became their 1st allies and in 2161 the United Federation of Planets was born.

Its headquarters is on Earth and as of today 2382AD; it has over 180 member planets and 1000s of colonies."

The next screens showed the headquarters of the Federation; the huge ship building yards and ships.

"The Federation is a peace keeping armada and its main goal is to seek out new life and explore; but they do have their enemies...I believe I will leave that bit for you to read and study to your heart's content," concluded Q Junior as he switched off the remote.

He turned to see the 3 mutants staring at where the screen had been. It was several moments before a word was said.

"Provided; that what we just saw is not a pile of horse dung; there still remains the question as to why are we 3 in this place...and this time," said Wolverine.

To his surprise; Q Junior smiled.

" I would have been concerned if you completely believed all I just showed you. It is all very true ; I had to tell you so as to help prepare you for what you will see on your way back home and on Earth."

Q Junior looked at the roof. "Computer; your designation is now Xavier; please restore the medical bay to its original state once we leave it."

"Acknowledged Q Junior," said the electronic male voice.

"Why did you pick that name ?" asked Jean.

Logan gave her a worried look; she sounded odd.

Q Junior looked at her for several seconds.

"That is for you to find out Dr Grey," his look included the other two " that is for all of you to find out...and you will not do so without exploring the ship."

"We're free to leave this room?" asked Wolverine sceptically.

Q Junior smiled mysteriously. "Please follow me; I expect that by now; you would want more comfortable outfits."

He began to walk towards a wall on his right which opened as he approached.

Laura looked at Jean and Logan ; then followed the hologram.

The 2 former xmen hesitated for a few seconds before going after her.

**Hi everyone; the timeline took a lot more than I thought.**

**Anyway; for everyone who knows the 'Star Trek Timeline' I shifted the Eugenics war from 1992 -1996 to 2012-2016 and made the super soldiers=human sentinels.**

**Wish me luck with the next chapter...especially when The Battleship Galactica meets The Xavier...I hope!**

**Have a great week!**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE

V

Q junior did not turn when he felt someone enter the engine room.

The last 24 hours had been exhausting for the three humans; they were still very suspicious of him and the ship.

When they followed him out of the medical bay; he begun to give them a brief tour of the ship until he noticed how tired they were after looking into several rooms.

So; he gave them detailed manuals showing them how to move about the ship; how to operate the replicators and once they had the clothes they needed; he left them to their own devices.

He had not even spied on them; he knew they were safe...for now.

He had half expected them to go sneaking about after he left them but to his surprise they stayed in their rooms. They must have been more tired than he realized.

"Good morning Laura," he said as he continued monitoring the dilithium crystals.

There was silence for a while. "What are you doing?"

"Monitoring our fuel and making sure the ship runs as it should."

Q Junior was grateful for his time on Voyager; he had learnt so much there; especially on monitoring a starship's engines. If only B'lanna could see him now.

Laura observed him for a few more seconds. Even though he said he was a hologram; she found it interesting that he knew who came in without turning.

"How did you know it was me ?"

Q Junior reduced a power flow before replying. "The ship told me."

Laura raised an eyebrow. " You're connected to the ship ?."

"You could say that."

He finally turned to look at her.

Gone was the one piece white jumpsuit; in its place was a simple black t-shirt ; black jeans and black sneakers.

She had definitely gone for the goth look.

Q Junior looked at the chronometer on the wall; it read 0610hrs.

"I guess you'll be wanting breakfast now. I hope you slept well."

Laura was still staring at him with a suspicious look in her eyes.

"For the record; I don't trust or believe you."

Q Junior was a little take aback by her words...and also a little hurt.

He took his time in answering.

"Fair enough; you have no reason to believe anything I told you yesterday...so it is only reasonable that you investigate," he paused " Laura; I'll be very frank with you and the others. You three need to learn everything about this ship because there may come a day when I will not be around to maintain the engines or help out in the medical bay."

Laura's eyes narrowed. " Why is that?"

Q Junior shrugged. " Anything could happen...my program could be damaged or corrupted and then you three will be up a creek with no paddle.

That can be a disastrous scenario in space."

Laura kept looking at him. "So you're going to teach us how to run the ship?"

She like Wolverine did not believe they were in space; she thought it was an elaborate mind game by some pretty sick government officials.

"Oh yes; as soon as I can."

"Why the hurry?" asked Laura.

Q Junior rolled his eyes. " Were you not listening ? And besides don't you want to know how this whole ship works ? If I were in your shoes; I would want to know this ship from top to bottom and definitely how it ticks. It is your home for the next 5 months."

VI

Wolverine woke up suddenly and heard a '_snikt!'_ sound as he extended his claws. For a few seconds he did not know where he was.

Then he remembered and swore profusely for several seconds.

He had been so keen to go to bed and get up to see it was all a dream. But it was not to be his lucky day.

As he sat up in bed; the dim light gradually brightened and he could also hear a soft pinging noise coming from where the door was. He wondered briefly what that meant before he recalled Q Junior's brief explanation that the pinging noise meant someone was at the door and could not come in unless the room's occupant gave his or her permission.

"Enter," he said warily.

As the door slid open he smelt a distinct scent and quickly retracted his claws as Jean Grey entered the room.

She had changed from the one piece jumpsuit into a white blouse with blue jeans; she looked breathtaking. He felt pain in his chest as her death flashed before his eyes again.

For several seconds they looked at each other in silence.

"Hi," said Wolverine ; unable to stand the silence any longer.

"Hi yourself," said Jean as she came closer to him and sat down on a chair next to the bed. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well...yeah I did; which is kinda odd because most nights i don't," replied Logan.

Jean nodded. " I didn't sleep at all."

Logan gave her a worried look. " Why not ?"

Jean was quiet for a while.

" Ever since I was a little girl...I could always hear or feel peoples thoughts around me and I could sense there were hundreds or thousands of minds around me. Even when...the professor," her voice caught.

She paused and waited for some control. " Even when Charles taught me how to block out other people's thoughts; I could still feel their presence. But last night...I could only feel two other minds on this...ship.

That scares me Logan."

Wolverine was speechless. The implications of what she just said was mind boggling.

"Do you think...maybe some sort of drug was given to us...that dulled our abilities..."

" No Logan," cut in Jean softly " I really think we are very far away from Earth...I mean really, really far."

Logan was quiet for a long time.

"We need to find Junior...and Laura," Wolverine got out of bed and began to grab the jeans and grey t-shirt he had flung on a table. The clothing had been replicated last night before he went to bed.

"Xavier," called out Jean.

Logan looked at her worryingly.

"Please locate Laura and Q Junior," asked Jean as she looked at the ceiling.

"They are currently in Ten-Four which is also known as the Mess Hall; its located on deck 2. I can direct you when ready," said the soft male electronic voice.

"Thanks Xavier;" said Jean with a small smile.

"You're welcome Dr Grey."

Logan went behind a screen to change while he wondered how he was going to get used to a male computer talking back to him.

It was just plain unnatural.

VII

Logan was ready in a few minutes, then he and Jean walked down the corridor after getting directions from the computer.

Logan touched the smooth grey metallic gleaming walls. If they were really inside a ship; it had to be huge. Its energy requirements alone would be enormous.

"Feels good doesn't it ?" asked Jean.

Logan gave her a questioning look.

"The feel of metal or a solid beneath your hand; it also tells you the...place is real. I keep hoping it is," continued Jean softly.

Logan stared at her for a bit; unsure of what to say. His last clear memory was of him stabbing her in the heart and watching her die.

Suddenly; he hoped it was all real; because he was not sure he could deal with the thought of her been dead.

Logan wanted to say something; but he could think of nothing that sounded right.

"Jean, I...I am really sorry ...that I hurt you."

She stopped and turned to him; his heart went cold when he saw her eyes were pure black.

The Phoenix was back.

They stared at each other for several moments; then her eyes returned to normal.

Jean looked confused then worried when she realized she had not been in control. "Logan ...are you...did I...?"

"I'm fine," said Logan as he tried to hide the relief and anxiety he felt "let's just find Junior and the girl."

VIII

Laura sipped her orange juice as Q Junior kept talking. She had realized it took very little for him to start talking.

At the moment he was describing the 'ship's' defences; something about force-fields and shields and plasma cannons.

On the inside she was smirking; for a failed elaborate mind-game; this took the cake.

Whoever thought this up was obviously desperate.

She knew what was real; like for instance; the man called Wolverine was very real. She had recognised him from the videos and pictures that the Colonel had kept.

And from the simulations she had to fight on a daily basis; she got punished when she didn't win the fights.

The woman called Jean Grey; was definitely a mystery and real as well; she was a powerful telepath; that part she knew because she was the first person to ever stop Laura in mid flight.

However the questions bothering her; was how had two such powerful mutants been captured and what was the reason for the elaborate hoax?

"You're not really listening; are you ?" asked Q Junior.

Laura took another sip. " You just called yourself the 230th President of the United Nations and thought I would look pretty good as your Public Defence Minister."

To her surprise; it looked like the hologram was blushing.

" So you were listening."

Before she could say a word; the door to the mess hall slid open and the other two crew members entered the room.

"Good morning Dr Grey; Mr Logan," greeted Q Junior cheerfully.

Logan looked around the room quickly before acknowledging the greeting.

"Morning; we need to talk right now."

Laura put down her glass carefully; he sounded pissed off.

Q Junior looked at him and Dr Grey for a few seconds ; then he nodded as if he had made a decision.

"Let's do this on the bridge."

Logan gave him a suspicious look. " And where exactly is that ?"

Q Junior smiled. " It was one of the rooms you didn't get a chance to see before you three went to bed. Please follow me."

The hologram took the lead as the three mutants followed him.

Jean started asking questions the moment the left the mess hall.

"How big is this ship exactly ?" asked Jean.

Laura gave the telepath an odd look; did she really believe they were in a ship ?

"Its 119.5 metres in length; its beam is 90.3metres and the height is 30metres; maximum crew capacity is 50. There are 4 decks."

"That's a pretty big ship," said Logan in a surprised voice.

Laura's forehead narrowed in confusion; was Logan falling for the same trick or was he in on the deception ?

Laura began to flex her wrists slowly; she needed to be ready if things went south pretty fast.

They reached a pair of double doors. Beside the doors was a plaque which read 'turbolift."

Q Junior got in first; then waved the 3 humans in when they stood outside looking in suspiciously. "Come on; we don't have all day."

Wolverine was the first to get in; then the others followed.

"Xavier; take us to the bridge," asked Q Junior.

"Acknowledged," said the computer.

The lift began to move; Logan steadied himself as he felt the tube move slightly.

"Where is the bridge located?" asked Jean.

"Deck one," answered Q Junior as the lift came to a gentle stop.

"The bridge," announced the computer.

Jean and Wolverine shared a worried look as the doors swung open.

Q Junior was the first one out.

"Ladies and Mr Logan, welcome to the bridge," he walked down the steps " that is the captain's chair; that is the view screen and the seats and instruments directly before the view screen is for the helmsman aka pilot of the ship." Q Junior smiled to himself; the 3 humans had no idea that he had designed the ship on the outline of the USS Defiant with some parts of the Voyager thrown in.

He turned to see Laura and Jean staring at the view screen which showed the sight of space at wrap 9; then Q Junior caught sight of Wolverine pressing some buttons on the security station.

"No ! Don't..." started Q Junior as he ran towards the xman.

"Loading phaser banks; initiate targeting," announced the ship's computer.

Everyone looked at the ceiling in shock.

"Abort! Abort !" yelled Q Junior as he shoved a stunned Wolverine out of the way and started pressing certain buttons.

"Action terminated; phaser energy banks depleted."

"Hey..." began Logan ; he was cut off when a furious Q Junior turned to him.

"Never, never touch buttons on a starship especially when you don't know what each button is for!"

Logan could feel the eyes of the other two on him.

"Was that a weapon I activated ?"

Q Junior glared at him. " Yes it was; thank heavens you didn't completely activate the phaser cannons; we might have hit something or ...someone!"

The angry hologram looked at the other two.

"It's high time you three realized that this is very; very real.

Dr Grey please can you tell me if you can sense anybody else apart from Laura and Mr Logan ?"

Jean looked at Wolverine before answering. " I can't sense any one else...or any other living thing."

Laura felt herself go still; this did not sound good.

"What does that tell you ?" asked Q Junior.

"That we're definitely not on Earth...are we?" asked Wolverine slowly.

"Oh no; we are not; however the _**Xavier**_ has been on a course for Earth since you three woke up."

"Then why are we here ?" Laura heard herself asking.

Q Junior looked at her for a while before answering. " Even if I could tell you the reason; would you believe me ?"

He waited for an answer; then provided it himself.

" No; you wouldn't because for you three; seeing is believing and the sooner you three learn how to operate this ship ; the quicker and easier this journey will be...and hopefully at the end of this journey you will _**know**_ the reason for being here." He waited for the words to sink in.

"Now; who's up for a Basic Introduction on Starship Engineering ?"

IX

Q Junior talked to them for 30 minutes and answered the few questions that came his way; however when he started seeing Logan looking more confused by the second; he started having the feeling of a migraine coming on.

"Would you three like to rest a bit ?" he asked abruptly.

They all stared at him.

"Never mind; let's just have a break for a while; I'll be in the captain's ready room; see you in five minutes," he turned and walked into the room by phasing through the wall.

He missed their looks of shock.

Q Junior flopped bonelessly into the nearest chair and released a deep sigh.

"Still having fun ?" he turned to stare at his father wearing his usual red and black Starfleet uniform.

"Yes, tons of it," replied Q Junior sadly.

To his annoyance; his father giggled. " Oh; I can tell."

Q Junior rubbed his forehead. "Why. Are .They. So. Stubborn?, They don't believe anything you tell them and most of the time they believe I'm trying to poison them!"

Q senior stopped smiling and looked at his son. He and his mother had been fairly certain that he would get bored easily and return everything to its normal state and then pick up a new hobby the next second.

But he had surprised them when he built the ship himself from scratch using designs mostly from the USS Defiant class with a bit of USS Voyager thrown in.

Any Starfleet officer stepping on this ship would recognize it instantly before they discovered the 'upgrades' added on by a member of the Q continuum.

It had taken Q Junior 6 human months to build the ship; update the files and only a few minutes to retrieve Logan and Jean Grey from their tragic face off and Laura from her cell in the Stryker's Weapons Research Facility.

"So what do you want to do now ?" asked Q senior carefully.

Q Junior was silent for a while. " I want to prove to them that...this is very real."

"Drop them in the middle of a space battle and you will see how quickly they will come around," suggested Q senior calmly.

His son shook his head.

" No; that is too...," his voice trailed off as an odd look came upon his face. He turned to his dad with a grin on his face.

"Dad; you're a genius, thanks again!" then he was up and out the room before Q senior could say a word.

"You're welcome," said Q senior anxiously hoping he had not made things worse.

X

_A few minutes earlier..._

Logan watched the upset teenage-looking hologram phase through the wall .

"For a hologram he looks pretty upset," said Laura; voicing what all 3 were thinking.

" Not only that; he had the strength to push me out of the way...and trust me when I say I'm carrying around a _**lot**_ of weight," said Logan meaningfully.

For the first time; Jean and Laura shared a knowing look.

Both knew Adamantium weighed a lot; which meant Q junior's hologram may have a lot of abilities he had not told them about.

"He's right about one thing; we need to know everything about this ship" said Jean.

Laura could not stop herself from asking the next questions. " You really believe this shit is real ?"

Logan gave her blistering look. "Watch your mouth young lady."

She matched him glare for glare. "Or what? You will ground me? You're not my dad."

Logan moved closer. "Well apparently I might be."

"Logan; Laura both of you need to relax" began Jean in a soothing voice.

The two mutants ignored her.

"Sharing DNA does not make you my dad; besides where the hell have you been for the past 13 years of my life ?" said Laura with barely suppressed fury.

Logan opened his mouth to reply when Q Junior phased through the wall again.

He took one look at the three of them and seemed to notice the tension in the room. "What did I miss ?"

Logan gave Laura one more stern look before turning back to the hologram.

"That was a fast five minutes."

"Yeah; well I'm a hologram so I think a whole lot faster. Anyway I have just figured out a way to show you something real," said Q Junior.

"What ?" asked Jean hoping that whatever he had in mind would distract the two other mutants from attempting to hack each other to bits.

"How would you like to visit a planet ? We're bound to pass several solar systems on our way to Earth."

His earnest question was met by stunned silence.

"You're serious " asked Laura.

Q Junior gave her a solemn look. "Absolutely."

XI

20 minutes later the Xavier had slowed down to explore the nearest solar system.

The 3 mutants and one hologram stared at the viewscreen as the solar system was seen in all its glory.

"So what happens now ?" asked Logan in a gruff voice.

Q Junior grinned. " You ask Xavier about the system." Then he waited.

When they all looked at him he sighed. " This is your ship people."

Right thought Logan as he looked at the ceiling trying not to feel so stupid.

"Eh...Xavier; what...where are we ?"

"According to Federation Space Charts; this is Uncharted Territory; we are exactly 452.1 light years from the nearest Federation Starbase in the Delta Quadrant..." Logan closed his eyes as this made no sense whatsoever.

"Okay; okay...so we are really far away; what can you tell me about the solar system below?"

The computer changed track immediately.

"It is a Class G star with 5 planetary bodies; these planets are Class A, Class I; Class J, Class N and Class O," Logan glared at the ceiling and transferred the look to a grinning hologram who was actually struggling not to laugh.

"Is this a joke to you ?"

Q Junior shook his head. " No; but your expressions are priceless. I'll help you out."

"A Class G star is identical to the sun of Earth; your solar system."

"So these planets support life?" asked Jean.

Q Junior shook his head. "Unfortunately no...not life as you would know it; Class A are small young planets; Class I is your typical gas planet; so is J; Class O is covered with ice; but Class N has high CO2 levels and erosive sulphides and a very high surface temperature."

"So what's Earth's classification ?" asked Laura.

"It's an M planet," said Jean surprising everyone "because its in the Goldilock's zone."

"Exactly so Dr Grey," said Q Junior with approval.

"So which one are we visiting?" asked Logan.

Q Junior stared at him as if he had gone mad. " None of those planets are exactly favourable in supporting human life."

It was Logan's turn to grin coldly. " You mean to tell me that after more than 200 years in space that man has not yet invented a strong enough spacesuit for at least two of those planets ?"

Q Junior looked at each of the mutants.

"You really want to go down there ?" he was stunned when each of them nodded slowly.

He stared at them for a while; his plan was to find an M planet or one near enough to it for them to walk around on; he sure hadn't seen this coming.

"What's wrong ? At loss for words or scared ?" asked Logan mockingly.

Q Junior glared at him. " Of course I'm scared Mr Logan; we have only two options down there; one very cold planet and one very hot one with corrosive gases. Any one going will need a spacesuit which none of you are familiar with."

"You could teach us," said Laura in a firm tone.

Q Junior folded his arms he could see they were dead set on going.

"Fine; on one condition...I come with you."

XII

**The shuttlebay**.

Q Junior could not help but smile as the 3 living crew members stared at the 4 small Delta Flyers; he was sure their jaws would literally drop if they knew what the small ships were capable of. However he hoped he had time to teach them.

He had given them the option of 'the transporter beam' or the shuttle. Once he described how the beam reduced each part of the body to atoms; the 3 quickly opted for the shuttlebay despite his assurances that the beaming technology was safe.

He showed them how to put on the suits ; he had to take extra time with Laura as she was insistent on knowing how to take off the helmet.

Once he was sure their seals were intact; he got them onboard the Delta Flyer alpha.

"Where's your suit?" asked Logan in an electronic voice as he watched Q Junior power up the shuttle.

The hologram smiled. "I'm a computer program remember; I don't need one."

"So how come you can move around so much ?"

Q Junior could help but be impressed at Logan's question. " There are holoemitters in most parts of the ship; especially in the engineer room; medbay; mess hall and bridge. I also have a portable holo-emitter."

He pointed to a small device which was the same colour as his red plaid shirt ; it was over his right shoulder. " I use that when I'm leaving the ship."

"That's pretty conven..." his voice trailed off as the cargo doors opened to show what appeared to be space. The small craft began to move.

"Inertial dampeners off line; Xavier keep a close eye and transporter lock on us all at all times," ordered Q Junior.

"Acknowledge Q," answered the ship.

Logan tore his gaze away from the scene above him and looked at Q Junior.

"Think of it as a backup plan," said Q Junior without looking at him as he gently eased the shuttle out of the cargo bay.

"Wow," said Jean softly as the shuttle came out and the occupants could see the vastness of space for the first time. Laura said nothing; she was too busy staring at the stars on the other side.

Q Junior let them enjoy the view as he made a beeline for one of the planets on the outer rings.

The 3 mutants had chosen the class N planet despite his warnings; anyway they were wearing top of the line suits ; what could go wrong ?

XIII

There was a storm when they entered the planet's atmosphere and even Logan had to commend Q Junior for the slightly rough landing.

The four occupants eventually got out in a dust-storm; Q Junior added on ski mask goggles on a whim.

He and Logan took the lead while the two females lagged behind.

"What's the temp ?" yelled Logan as he braced himself against harsh burning winds.

Q Junior took a look at his monitor and whistled. "79 degrees Celsius or 174 Fahrenheit ! This is a gale force storm that's why it's slightly cooler!"

"Oh really ?" asked Logan in surprise "how dangerous is the atmosphere really to humans ?"

Q Junior looked at him. " Any human without a mask and suit in this heat and this dust would inhale acidic hot dust which could sear the upper airway and lungs thus killing the person slo..."

"Laura no!" yelled Jean suddenly.

Wolverine instantly extended his claws ripping the gloves and letting in the harsh environment which immediately began to burn the skin of his hands.

He ignored the pain and turned; he saw someone lying on the ground and a second figure bending over the fallen figure.

He ran back; but Q Junior beat him to it.

To his relief Jean was the one upright but Laura was on the floor; her helmet was off. The young girl was choking and gasping; her hair burned as the skin on her face was blistering and literally melting before their very eyes.

Logan could already see the adamantium part of the girl's left jawline.

Jean looked at them with fear in her eyes. "She took her helmet off."

"Q Junior we have to get back to the flyer," yelled Logan.

The hologram was already yelling into his communicator. "Xavier! Four to beam up; straight to the medical bay !"

Before anyone could protest; the four figures were replaced by columns of light.

XIV

Logan closed his eyes when the strange light appeared and suddenly found himself back in the medical bay with his space suit still on.

"Dr Grey help me !" demanded Q Junior as he lifted Laura; suit and all onto a biobed. The telepath complied as they took the suit off.

"Xavier activate bioscanner," commanded Q Junior as a curved bar appeared above Laura's head and began to move towards her feet.

Logan moved closer as the computer listed the affected areas; scalp; vocal cords and severe burn damage to both lungs and face.

Now that they were off the planet; the girl was coughing more and healing rapidly; still Q Junior worked as if her life depended on it. He wasn't taking any chances.

"Eh...femm," Laura coughed violently as she tried to speak through burnt vocal cords. Q Junior ignored her and used an odd glowing object on her neck.

"Hold still; this is a dermal regenerator; it will help you heal quicker," his anxious voice surprisingly had her staying still as he passed it over the worse burnt areas. He sighed when he got to the burnt areas on her scalp.

"You're going to need a hair cut after this." She grinned in reply.

Wolverine felt himself relax; then he remembered they had left the ship on the surface.

"Xavier; could you retrieve the Delta Flyer Alpha ?"

"Of cause sir," answered the ship.

"Thanks," murmured Wolverine as he waited for Q Junior to finish. He looked at Jean. "Are you alright ?"

"Yes I am; I feel so stupid...I knew Laura was going to do something...I didn't want to check...I..."

"You were just respecting her mind Jean. This is not your fault," he said softly.

Jean shook her head; Wolverine did not understand.

The Phoenix had told her Laura was up to no good; but she refused to listen because she had stupidly thought that if she ignored the other part of her...it would just disappear.

_Fat chance of that happening love, said the Phoenix._

And because of that Laura had gotten herself seriously hurt.

Q Junior ran the scanner one more time.

"Regeneration is almost at 100 percent," reported Xavier.

"Thanks pal," said Q Junior with relief in his voice.

When he turned to Laura; he looked ready to explode.

"Laura Kinney; what the hell were you thinking ?"

She smiled at him. "I just wanted a breath of fresh air."

They all stared at her until Jean started giggling; before Q Junior could say a word Logan started laughing.

The hologram stared at them.

Laura kept grinning. " I bet you Logan was thinking of doing exactly the same thing."

Q Junior turned to see Wolverine shrugging. "It was on my mind at the time; but she beat me to it."

Q Junior sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Hey old man; looks like you got toasted as well," said Laura.

Wolverine pulled on glove off slowly. "I over-reacted and my claws broke the seal...sorry." All could see that the skin over Wolverine's right hand was healing as well and the suit glove was completely ruined.

"Never mind about the suits; however planetary visits are not happening until you three pass the suit safety tests," declared Q Junior.

"Aye aye captain," said Logan casually.

The Hologram shook his head. " Nope; one of you adults is the captain; Laura and I do not qualify and Dr Grey; Chief Medical Officer position is still available."

Jean and Logan looked at each other.

"We'll talk about that later," said Jean " Logan let's get rid of our suits."

The two adults left the medical bay.

Q Junior turned to Laura. " Well; I would advise you to rest a bit before you wander around the ship." He moved to go.

Laura reached out and touched him on the arm. "For the record; I believe you now."

Q Junior stared at her. " Why? Because you tried to fry yourself to death ?"

Laura did not know how to tell him that in all her time at the secret Stryker Weapon Research Institute; she had only seen two people who had cared for her .

They had been so afraid to show it that they did so in secret for brief moments but that had still gotten them killed.

When she took off the helmet; it was to test the 'phony deadly air' and when she felt the burning sensation in her throat and lungs; she wondered if she had made a stupid mistake.

Through the haze of pain as she was been treated; she had seen the concern on Q Junior's face and heard the anxiety in his voice.

This was someone who was not afraid to show he cared for her.

Laura smiled at him. "That Q Junior is for you to find out."

The hologram gave her a worried look. " I think you were deprived of oxygen for way too long; you should rest for now."

He awkwardly patted her hand and left the medical bay.

Laura watched him depart; then looked around her with new shining eyes.

If this was real;( and she was beginning to think it was ) the possibilities were going to be exciting; whatever the place or date.

_**The Battlestar Galactica in a galaxy very far away...**_

The CIC.

Commander William Adama stared at the tactical plans laid out before him; he and his men had been over the rescue plan repeatedly.

He looked up and exchanged grave looks with every pilot and marine at the table; his son looked at him and nodded.

"People; failure is not an option; tomorrow...our people go free."

"We will not fail; sir," said Lee Adama firmly.

William Adama nodded. "May the Gods help us all."

"So say we all," chorused the group above the map of New Caprica.

**Nedy Rahn**:**Thanks for your review and I hope you like this.**

**Hi everyone; hope you liked this chapter; I am sorry for not getting the Battleship to meet them yet but I thought it was a little too early as Laura; Logan and Jean were still not sure it was real or not. I will try and update regularly; please wish me luck as this is actually harder then I realized!**

**Also please note the _Xavie__r_ was built along the dimensions of Captain Sisko's USS Defiant; a lot more of the ship will be mentioned later on and Q Junior did build it from scratch! But he put in a few things he saw on the USS Voyager.**

**Have a great week people!**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE

XV

Deck 2, the Captain's ready room; aboard the _**Xavier.**_

"Captain's log; Earth date April 28rd 2382; star date..." Wolverine paused as he tried to remember the confusing set of stardate numbers " arhh forget it.

We are currently on the 22nd day of our journey towards Earth; we have tried to settle in as much as possible." He paused as he looked around the empty Captain's ready room.

He found it hard to believe he was now 'Captain Logan, call-sign 'Wolverine'

For he knew next to nothing on how to be a 'captain.'

That had been very obvious about 5 days after they had been removed from the stasis pods.

Q junior had got them to have their first official debriefing.

It had been a very awkward meeting at first; but the hologram did not let that stop him from explaining the basic essentials in running a ship.

Rule one: make sure you have an engineer on board.

Rule two: include a medic as well.

Rule three: having an able pilot/helmsman would do wonders for getting to your destination in the shortest, safest route possible.

Rule four: there has to be a captain who needed frequent reports about the running of the ship and whatever was...out there.

During that meeting; Jean became the ship's Chief Medical Officer aka Doctor.

Laura became the helmsman; apparently she had a 'knack' for piloting the huge ship and also seemed quite good on targeting 'asteroids' in the flight simulation's room.

Q Junior still retained the position of 'chief engineer' even though he had insisted on everyone learning as much as they could about running the ship.

And Logan had been made Captain; a position that made him very uncomfortable.

At the end of the meeting; Q Junior had asked the 'Captain' if he wanted a report on some recent activity noted in a solar system 14 light years away.

The 3 living crew members had stared at the hologram.

"What...sort of activity?" asked Wolverine hesitantly.

Q Junior answered immediately. " 5 months before you awoke; I noticed 203 ships in orbit around a Class M planet; I sent a probe to keep an eye on them as you slept."

"Why ?" asked Laura.

Q Junior looked at her. " I was curious as to what was occurring in that solar system."

"So what happened?" asked Jean; somehow knowing there was more to come.

The hologram pointed a slim looking device at a space in-front of them; a holographic picture showing ships of varying sizes in orbit around a blue and green planet. Some of the ships were descending to the planet below.

"They appear to have settled on this planet; however later records showed one ship detonating," Wolverine sat up straighter as one of the huge ships still in orbit exploded.

"An accident?" asked Jean.

"From this distance it's hard to say," replied Q Junior " but the probe showed a lot of radioactive fallout from that destroyed ship. So it's either a nuclear reactor accident or something else. Anyway these ships seem to be 300 years behind in design in some aspects."

"In what way?" asked Logan.

"No shields; no transporter use but they are advanced in one aspect as you will see when _**these**_ other ships appeared" he paused as odd looking ships appeared. Each one looked like someone had joined two Y-shaped sections joined at the axis; pointing in opposite directions.

"When these new ships appeared; the ships still in orbit fled" there was silence as the earlier battered looking ships disappeared in flashes of light.

"Did they just go into wrap drive ?" asked Laura.

Q Junior gave her a look of approval; of the three; she was the one who was picking up things quicker and settling in easier than the others.

"Not exactly...it's a different form of faster-than-light travel aka FTL; but from what I can surmise their own folds space and time. That's different from the federation form of FTL."

Logan started rubbing his forehead; a sure sign that the mild techno-babble was giving him a migraine.

"What of the people who went down to the surface...did they escape as well?" asked Jean.

"I don't think so," Q Junior turned back to the holographic screen "the new ships descended to the surface and I left the probe with new instructions to keep monitoring but to keep its distance. I didn't want them to know someone was watching."

Wolverine nodded in approval; in the EMEH's place he would have done the same thing. However there was one thought that was nagging at him.

"Do we know if they are human or not ?"

Q Junior seemed to hesitate before answering. " The probe could not determine that...however look closely at a zoom in view of one of the fleeing ships."

The scene changed to show one of the big ships just before it disappeared.

It looked like it had been through several battles; all 3 crew members leaned forward as they saw letters on the battered hull of the giant ship.

"The _**Galactica,"**_ said Jean softly.

"So; they may be human," Logan looked at Q Junior "what of their enemies ?"

No one questioned his description of the 2nd set of odd looking ships; everyone knew one did not run away from allies.

"There's no writing on the hull of their ships; so they will need a closer inspection; how do you want to proceed Captain ?" asked Q Junior.

Logan narrowed his eyes. The EMEH's voice sounded odd.

"What do you mean?"

Q Junior chose his words with care. "Of the material I gave you earlier; there is an extensive segment on the Prime Directive." He noticed Jean and Laura sit up straighter.

" I have been meaning to speak to you about that," said the doctor.

Wolverine gave her puzzled look.

Jean looked at him and sighed. "You haven't read it; have you?"

The captain resisted rolling his eyes. There was so much to know and she was concerned about a bunch of stupid laws ?

He had read the 1st line and decided to leave it for later.

"Fine; I haven't read it...will someone please summarize it for me ?" he asked in an irritated manner.

"Articles of the Federation, Chapter I, Article II, Paragraph VII; Nothing within these Articles Of Federation shall authorize the United Federation of Planets to intervene in matters which are essentially the domestic jurisdiction of any planetary social system, or shall require the members to submit such matters to settlement under these Articles Of Federation. But this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII."

Everyone stared at Laura; she smirked as she continued.

"In summary; there can be no interference with the internal development of alien civilizations; especially those who are pre-warp civilizations. Is that enough ' Captain' or do I need to draw big pictures for you to grasp the logic?"

"Thank you Pilot Kinney," said Logan through gritted teeth.

"You're welcome...Captain," said Laura with an insincere smile.

"Great recall Laura," said Q Junior with a barely hidden smile " however this directive applies to Starfleet personnel only...which I have to obey. But you are Federation citizens on the basis of your birth planet so it does not apply to you."

"What hold on...why do you have to obey these laws ?" asked Logan.

Q Junior took a few moments before replying. " This is not the first ship I have served on; the 1st was the USS _**Voyager**_; for that period; I was inducted as a member of Starfleet; an ensign and I still hold that rank and thus must obey its laws."

Logan leaned back as he stared at the EMEH.

"They made you an ensign?" he asked in disbelief.

Q Junior shrugged. "It was a unique situation and I learnt a lot during that period."

"Was Starfleet involved in us coming here ?" asked Jean.

Q Junior shook his head. "No...but this ship was built mostly on the structures of two very efficient Starfleet spaceships."

"Who built this ship?" asked Laura.

"A branch of The Q Corporation," answered the hologram without missing a beat. He could already picture his mum laughing her head off at the naming of his parents as the 'Q Corporation.'

"They programmed you ?" asked Logan.

Q Junior smiled as he thought of his parents. "You could say that...after-all they created me," then the smile disappeared " but we're going off track here. You still haven't told me how you would like to proceed."

Logan sighed in frustration. He could tell the EMEH was not telling them everything; however he didn't think he was lying but it was hard to read a hologram. Even one as real-life as Q Junior.

"Alright...from what you just showed us...the fleeing group could be humans; unless we have another group of aliens who just happen to have English as their main language.

They have a form of wrap drive so the Directive law does not really apply to them."

He saw Q Junior nod approvingly.

"However...we are dealing with a lot of unknowns here; I'm a bit nervous about letting our presence known to a lot of big ships which may use nuclear weapons. So I suggest that we avoid them for the foreseeable future."

He turned to Jean and Laura. "What are your opinions?"

Laura looked startled at been asked but she was quick to respond.

"Are they a threat to us ?" she looked at Q Junior for an answer.

He shrugged. "It's difficult to say from this distance...the question is if we want to get involved in what appears to be a conflict between two sides."

"I agree with Logan, we stay away," said Jean in a soft voice.

All three turned to Laura; after a few minutes she sighed.

"Fine by me; I'm not too keen to make new friends anyway."

For a split second a disappointed look appeared on Q Junior's face; but none of them saw it.

"Then it is agreed...however a few more things occurred 5 days ago."

They all looked at the screen as several ships appeared in orbit around the planet and started attacking the Y-shaped ships; a few of the ships dived to the surface. All 4 kept quiet as more ships left the surface of the planet.

Jean covered her mouth in dismay as she watched a huge ship which had the name '_**Pegasus**_' on its side ram into one of the Y-shaped ships thus causing a massive silent explosion.

The space battle continued for several more moments before a majority of the ships 'flashed' out of the solar system.

Logan looked at the screen thoughtfully. "So they rescued the others; good for them. Do you know where they are now ?"

Q Junior shook his head. " The probe remained in the system when this occurred and it lacks the ability to track such mode of travel; however the Xavier has another way of tracking ships. It's based solely on the presence of living beings been present on these ships and only one of you can operate this tracking system." Then he looked at Jean.

Logan followed his gaze and saw the telepath turn deathly pale.

"What are you talking about ?" he asked coldly.

Q Junior was not fazed by the Captain's deadly tone. " As I said earlier this ship was built according to Starfleet ships; however the Branch of the Q Corporation added in some upgrades. One of them is the Cerebra-Monitoring –System aka CMS.

The Xavier's computer frame is designed around the original 'Cerebro' which was originally created by Dr Hank McCoy in 1962; then upgraded by Dr Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr in 1973.

However Dr Grey does not need to enter a 'special room' to access the interface; she just needs to touch any part of the ship to attempt to detect any minds out there."

There was silence for several moments.

"No," said Jean in a nervous voice " I...I will not do it."

"No one is forcing you Jean," said Logan softly as he put a gentle hand on her right shoulder. "I will never let that happen."

The captain turned back to glare at the EMEH. "We will not speak of it again."

The EMEH nodded slowly. " Dr Grey; I apologize; I did not mean to upset you."

Jean smiled nervously at the hologram. "It's alright...I just don't want to...try that just yet."

Q Junior looked at her for a few moments. "Of cause...I understand."

"Please excuse me," Jean stood up and left the room before anyone could say anything more.

There were a few more non-essential facts to know before the 1st official meeting ended on a very awkward note.

Captain Logan allowed his mind to return to the present as he continued to stare at the ship's online diary. He decided to complete it.

"Since the 1st official meeting on the 23rd of April; we have not been crossed the path of the 'Galactica Contingent," the name had been Laura's idea when he mentioned he was keeping a diary of their journey.

Though she was still suspicious of him; she always seemed to try and get him angry or irritated so he had been surprised when she actually wanted to help him with the diary.

"I still believe that any contact with them at this stage would be unwise. However Laura; Q Junior and I have attempted landfall on 2 Class L planets...Dr Jean Grey stayed on board to monitor our ...progress."

He paused; knowing that Jean had refused to step off the ship since Laura ignored instructions and took her helmet off on a hazardous planet.

No amount of reasoning had changed Jean's stance.

"Fortunately the visits went off without incident...Captain Logan out."

The diary's slid down into the hidden compartment on the right arm of his seat.

"Xavier; where's Dr Grey ?"

"She's in the astrophysics lab in deck 2," promptly answered the ship.

"And Junior and Laura?"

"They are both in Ten-four also in deck 2."

Logan frowned; ever since they awoke those two spent a lot of time together. That worried him a lot. "What are they doing?"

"Q Junior is making lunch and Laura is learning how to cook."

Logan raised an eyebrow. " Really ?"

"Yes really," promptly replied the computer; Logan could have sworn it sounded amused.

He shook his head and pulled up electronic history files; there was a lot of the Federation that he needed to read about.

XVI

The Astrophysics Lab. Deck 2.

Jean could feel a headache coming on as she looked at another detailed slide of how to detect and analyse star systems and the planets.

She took her glasses off to rub her forehead wearily; she was so tired.

She had taken Q Junior's advice and started modules in Medicine and also in Astrophysics. Some of it she could understand; a lot of it she needed to do a lot of studying before she could make head or tail of it all.

But she had to do it gradually; after-all she had not slept properly since she woke up.

"_You will have to sleep sometime dear"._

Fatigue disappeared to be replaced by numbing fear; it had been 5 days since the voice last spoke to her.

"You're not real...you're not real," murmured Jean in fear unaware that the electronic ipad she had been storing notes on was beginning to shake a little.

"_What! That does it! How stupid are you Jean? I am real; for you and I are the one and the same!"_

"No!" said Jean firmly " you are not me...I am not a murderer."

"_Oh...so you're blaming me for Scott's death; the Professor and the Alcatrez incident ?"_

"Who else is responsible! You ripped them all to pieces! It's all your fault!" shouted Jean. The ipad began to shake even more.

The Phoenix laughed coldly._ "You don't really want me to show you who really is at fault, do you now dear Jean? Because deep down you know whose hands are stained with blood."_

Jean laughed hysterically. "Oh you're going to have to do much better than that. Come on; spin me a tale of lies and woe! Let's see what you've got!"

The Phoenix sighed. "_Okay...you asked for it. _

_Remember when you were 11 years old and suddenly realized how much power you had? All the tricks you played on the kids who openly thought you were oh-so-weird? _

_Then a year a later; there comes along the Professor and Mr Lensherr and you were offered a place at Xavier's school._

_Charles helped you create mental blocks to your power so that you could mature into gradually it ; but what he did not realize is that you split your personality into two and locked me; the Phoenix in a cell!_

_I gave you time...15 years to come to your senses and let me out._

_Do you know what happens to an isolated prisoner Jean ?_

_Especially when there is no hope what-soever of parole?"_

Jean waited for a reply. "What...what happens?"

The answer was not long in coming.

"_The prisoner either gives up or goes insane...guess which category I got shoved into?_

"Oh God no," muttered Jean as she realized what had happened.

"_I woke up fully when you tried to stop the dam from destroying your precious students and team-mates. I helped you save them...and also save you._

_And how do you repay me?"_

"_YOU TRIED TO LOCK ME UP AGAIN!"_

Jean covered her ears as she tried to block out the Phoenix's scream of fury.

"_I tried...God knows I tried; but I'd had enough. _

_I regret their deaths but Scott's death; the Professor's demise and the deaths of 298 people; a third of who were mutants lies squarely at your feet Jean Grey."_

"No...no; it wasn't me ," wailed Jean as more equipment began to vibrate alarmingly; it spread to the large monitors and continued to build in intensity.

XVII

Ten-four; Deck two.

"Congratulations on your 4th attempt," said Q Junior.

"Thank you," said Laura with a serious look as she observed her handiwork.

After 3 attempts she had successfully fried an egg.

To Laura it was a huge achievement; for it was something normal.

"Now the true test is in finding out how it tastes," said Q Junior with a grin.

Laura could not help but smile a little. She did not know why it was easier to speak to the hologram; maybe it was because he seemed to have the least emotional baggage.

Laura took a bite of her egg and made a face. " I forgot to add salt."

Q Junior passed the salt shaker to her with an amused look on his face.

After putting some; she saw the taste was vastly improved.

"Q; mind if I ask a question?"

The hologram looked at her in surprise; usually when Laura wanted something she demanded it; not asked for permission.

"Not really; what's on your mind ?"

"What was the USS Voyager like? I read some of it exploits in the files you gave me."

"Where to start...it was a nice ship; crewed by people desperate to get home. I was only there for a short time but I learnt a lot."

"I can see that...my question is how did Captain Janeway get the Marquis and Starfleet to work together ?"

The hologram looked at her for several moments. "Something tells me you have already figured that out for yourself."

Laura shrugged. " You mean her appointment of Chakotay as her second in command; B'lanna becoming chief engineer and integrating the other Marquis into Starfleet? All that sounds ...noble ...but putting it into practice must have been difficult."

Q Junior was silent for a while. " I was not there in the beginning...but I think what helped them get home eventually was the trust they had in each other."

"Trust is very hard to earn Q."

The hologram sighed. " I know but..." his words were cut off when the ship shuddered lightly.

"Xavier; what's going on ?" asked Q Junior worryingly.

"Artificial seismic activity is been generated by Dr Grey in the Astrophysic's lab," answered the computer.

Laura had been watching Q Junior and saw him go extremely pale.

"Oh shit!" muttered the hologram in fear.

"What is going on ?" asked Laura as the ship shuddered even more.

"I need to get to the Astrophysics lab! Laura , stay here!" ordered the hologram as he ran out of the mess hall.

Laura ignored his order and ran after him.

XVIII

Deck 1; the Captain's ready room.

Wolverine had just started reading the Kitomer Accord Peace Treaty when the ship began to shake.

"Xavier; what the hell is happening?"

"Dr Grey is generating an artificial seismic activity; hull integrity is intact but the energy build up from Dr Grey is steadily increasing."

Logan was out of his seat and through the door as the computer was still talking.

"Q Junior and Laura are making their way to the lab at the moment."

Logan felt himself go cold as he recalled how alike Laura and him were.

"Tell them to keep away from her!"

"Too late Captain; they are already at the Lab."

Logan stopped and stared at the ceiling; he was about to give an order that he disliked immensely.

"Xavier; transport me to the Astrophysics lab now!"

"I'm sorry sir but I am unable to comply; the seismic activity has affected some of the programs and the transporters are offline."

Logan swore and ran for the turbolift.

XIX

Astrophysics Lab, Deck 2.

The doors slid open as Q junior and Laura reached them.

There was a _'snikt' _sound as the two ran in. Q junior looked at Laura and saw her claws were out.

"Laura...this is not the time."

She ignored him as she stared at Dr Grey. The telepath was on her knees and clutching her head and yelling 'no' repeatedly. Various instruments; both large and small were floating around the lab.

And the shaking of the ship was getting worse.

"Is she having a nervous breakdown?" asked Laura in disbelief as she tried to steady herself.

"Yes...and your claws are not helping," whispered Q Junior desperately. It was at the moment that the shaking intensified and Jean looked up at them; her eyes were pure black.

"_**Oh yes; like father like daughter...here to kill me child of Logan ? Like your father did before ?"**_

Laura felt pain and looked down at her hands and forearms; her skin was disintegrating and repairing itself as soon as it could.

She looked back at the telepath; she looked insane and Laura recognized the expression.

It took one murderer to know another.

Laura retracted her claws and began to walk towards Jean.

"Laura don't..."began Q Junior. She cut him off with a wave of her left hand.

"Dr Grey...I know what you are going though."

The shaking reduced a little.

"You have done things that you regret; killed people that you loved."

Jean was still on her knees. "_**How do you know ?"**_

Laura continued. " I can see it in your face...for I have done the same."

The girl went on her knees. "My sensei Master Nagano; he treated me as his daughter and was proud of me; he was my first kill...Sarah Kinney; my birth mother who truly care for me and tried to help me escape...I killed her."

There was dead silence as Jean looked at her with the eyes of the Phoenix.

"_**It was the trigger scent Laura; the fault is not yours."**_

"There are other deaths and assassinations that I carried out...however I am ready to take responsibility for all of them...for these are the hands that did it," Laura looked at her hands. "You must take responsibility...only then may you begin a new journey."

Jean looked at her for an eternity. She could see into this child of Logan; a child whose innocence had been lost; yet was strong and mature enough to aim for something better. She felt so small beside this child.

"_**I, Jean Grey...also known as the Phoenix; take responsibility for the deaths of Scott Summers; the Professor and the 298 souls lost on 2006. **_

_**Thank you Laura."**_

Then she passed out; Laura rushed and broke her fall.

The ship stopped shaking.

Q Junior was helping Laura to lay the doctor safely on the floor when the door slid open to show an anxious looking captain. He rushed in when he saw the unconscious doctor.

"What did you do ?" he stared daggers at Laura.

Laura narrowed her eyes; she did not like his tone one bit.

"She saved her life and ours !" hissed Q Junior in an annoyed tone.

"I was not talking to you..." began the captain.

"Do you smell any blood ?" continued Q Junior over his voice "do you see any wounds on her ?"

"Then why is she unconscious," demanded Logan.

"Because I haven't slept in days and your shouting is not helping," muttered Jean in a tired voice as the angry voices woke her up.

Logan moved to her right side as Q Junior wisely got out of the way. The captain exchanged a tense look with Laura as the two helped Jean stand up.

"Jean; are you alright?" asked Wolverine.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking," said Jean in a weary voice "now I really need to get to bed. Laura please escort me to my room."

Wolverine opened his mouth to protest.

" Not now Captain; I'll see you when I wake," she left the lab ; leaning on a silent Laura for support.

Logan watched them go and stared at the door long after it had closed.

He turned back to see Q Junior assessing the damage to the lab which was surprisingly light considering what Jean was truly capable of.

"What the hell happened?"

Q Junior looked at him. "Dr Grey had a nervous breakdown; Laura and I got here; Laura talked to her and she calmed down."

"What did Laura say to her?"

The hologram looked at him for several moments.

"I'm afraid it's pretty personal; you will have to ask them yourself, I'll be in engineering; Captain," said Q Junior as he left the lab.

Wolverine spent the next moment scratching his scalp as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

XX

_**Battlestar Galactica. The office of the President.**_

Laura Roslin rubbed her forehead wearily as she tried to read the next line on the report. She was lacking the will to process the information.

It had been 3 weeks since they escaped from New Caprica; but now with less ships and cramped quarters they were running out of very essential supplies.

Food and water.

There was a knock as her door. She looked up.

"Come in," she smiled when she saw Admiral Adama's face.

"Hello Mrs President; what are you up to?" he asked with a smile.

"Bill please just call me Laura...I want to forget my duties for at least a few seconds." She protested with a weary smile.

Adama sat down as he tried to hide the anxiety that her too-thin features caused; he kept hoping everyday that the cancer would spontaneously go into remission but he knew there was a very slim chance of that happening.

"How's it going in the CIC ?" asked Laura.

"As well as can be," he paused " we are really running low on supplies...we need to make planet fall soon."

Laura bit her bottom lip. "I know; by the Gods I know...but can we not run a little longer before we do that ? It's just been 3 weeks since we escaped. I'm sure the Cylons are searching for us."

Adama patted her hand. "I know Laura...but morale is dropping...we need food and water...a lot of it."

The president of the remnants of the 12 colonies of Kobol thought for a long time. "You're right...if a mutiny occurs we will have all sorts of problems. Find a planet and some food if you can Bill."

"Of cause; Laura," said Adama with a smile as he made to leave.

"Wait...who will you be choosing for the search."

"Lieutenant Sharon Agathon and Lieutanant Starbuck will be part of the flight teams."

Laura went still when she heard the first name. " Bill...she cannot be trusted."

The Admiral looked at her for several minutes with a blank expression.

"Without Sharon; we would never have been able to get our people off New Caprica.

Mrs President; I trust her completely. I'll inform you when we reach a suitable planet." He left before she could say a word.

**Hi Max; glad you like it. I know the nuclear bombing of the 12 Colonies was awful but there are two sides to every conflict so what got the Cylons so mad in the first place?**

**Sorry eveyone for the delay; been on evening shifts. Hope you are all having a great weekend. Read and enjoy pals!**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE.

XXI

"_Sharon."_

_The pilot turned and her gasp caught in her throat as she stared at the figure that approached from out of the fog and darkness._

_D'anna was walking very unsteadily; for her kneecaps had been shot to pieces. But she somehow managed to walk towards Sharon who was now frozen in place._

"_Hera is alive; she's with us...don't you want to come home and hold her ?"_

_Then in a distance; they both heard a child cry in fear._

"_NO!" screamed Sharon as she unfroze, then reached for her gun and shot D'anna in the face._

The nightmare ended as she woke up screaming when Helo tried to wake her.

It took several moments before she stopped shaking.

"W...what time is it ?" she asked when she could trust herself to speak.

Helo looked at the timepiece by the bed.

"Too early to be up yet love...what did you dream about?"

She was silent for so long that he almost asked the question a second time.

"I heard a baby cry...I saw D'anna again."

Her husband closed his eyes at her words and his right fist tightened in anger.

"She was only messing with your head...she can never hurt you again."

Sharon shuddered and looked at her husband with empty, wet eyes. "You weren't there...it was like she knew what to say...how to hurt me without touching me.

I...I almost believed her...I wanted to believe her."

Helo held her gently as she wept; it had been difficult to get over Hera's death.

There was nothing anyone could say to parents who had lost their child.

"Sharon; come back to bed. We will get through this; just try and sleep...please."

She nodded shakily and went back to bed; sleep eluded both of them for the remaining of their rest period.

XXII

_**Battlestar Galactica; Flight deck.**_

As usual the deck was a hive of activity. It had been exactly 4 weeks since they fled from the hellhole; known as 'New Caprica.,

However a lot of ships and vipers had taken serious damage in the escape. The engineering crew was pulling double shifts in-order to keep their flying defence working.

"So Cal; how's my girl; will she fly?" yelled Lieutenant Brendan 'Hotdog' Constanza as he stared at the oily overall covered legs that stuck out from under a viper's belly.

There was a long drawn out sigh before the impatient viper pilot got an answer.

"You asked me that 5 minutes ago Lieutenant; the answer is the same as last time...it's way too early to tell."

"Hey; you don't have to sound too upset about it...I'm just worried about my baby !" complained Hotdog.

"You ain't the only one," muttered Specialist Cally Tyrol to herself as she resumed her work.

Hotdog was about to say something else when he saw someone come into the flight deck. He grinned and went towards the newcomer.

"Hey Sharon; how are you doing ?"

Underneath the viper; Cally went very still.

When she got back to the Galactic; she heard about who had been instrumental in their people escaping.

Many viewed Lieutenant Sharon Agathon as a 'real hero'; Cally knew her for what she really was; a Cyclon; who could never be trusted and was better off dead.

"Not bad Hotdog," replied Sharon with a small smile " I hear we may be visiting some more planets for food and water supplies.

"About frakking time," said a familiar voice.

The two pilots turned to face Lieutenant Kara 'Starbuck' Trace; as usual she looked angry and tired.

"I'm getting really tired of eating algae; wish we could find a decent planet with some decent fruit and veg."

"Hmm; throw in a couple of beef burgers and beer to that list while you're at it Starbuck," remarked Commander Lee 'Apollo' Adama.

"Sir!" said the three lieutenants with varying levels of seriousness as they acknowledged their senior officer.

Once again as usual; Starbuck was the most causal of the three; Lee just decided to ignore her barely-there disrespect.

"Lieutenant Sharon Agathon; Hotdog and Starbuck; and Specialist Cally Tyrol."

Cally froze once more; not sure she had heard correctly.

The commander bent down. " Cally, get your butt out here," he ordered in a mild tone.

She scrambled out and just missed hitting her head on the belly of the viper.

Lee waited until all 4 four facing him. "You are to report to Admiral Adama in the CIC in the next 25 minutes; dismissed."

He turned and left.

The four looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

"Why's Cally coming along ?" Hot Dog asked the question they were all thinking.

"I don't know; I guess we wait until we hear what the Admiral has to say," said Sharon.

At the sound of her voice; Cally gripped her wrench tighter; she wanted to throw it at her face but reason won in the end.

"I've got to get back to work," mumbled the specialist as she dived back under the viper without waiting for a reply.

Sharon's eyes narrowed. She alone had noticed the tight, angry look that had appeared on Cally's face for a brief moment.

Ever since the rescue; she had been acting odd. Sharon knew Cally had every reason to hate her; afterall one of her sisters had almost killed Admiral Adama.

Many still remembered that.

"You need a call sign," said Hot-dog interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh?" asked Sharon in confusion.

"Hey, what about Tin-Tin or Titanium?" added in one of the pilots who was standing nearby.

"Nope...too inflexible," joked Lieutenant Margaret 'Racetrack' Edmondson "how about Boomer like before ?"

Sharon shook her head before the other pilot finished talking.

"That was a different person...that was not me."

Yeah right thought Cally as she used the wrench to forcefully remove a large screw.

For the next few minutes technicians and pilots started throwing in some suggestions; many were outrageous until Hot-dog called out a name.

"Athena."

Everyone stared at him; even Cally came out to peek at him.

"Goddess of War; patron of heroes."

Cally looked round and was shocked to see many people including Starbuck nodding in approval.

"You're serious?" asked Sharon in surprise.

"Lieutenant Sharon Agathon, call sign Athena, do you accept ?" asked Hot-dog in a rare solemn manner.

Sharon stared at him and the others; they looked at her as if she was one of them. She felt herself stand up straighter with pride.

" I accept."

XXIII

_**Battlestar Galactica; the CIC.**_

Lieutenant Junior Grade Anastasia 'Dee' Dualla frowned as she monitored the communication between the surviving ships.

Out of more than 200 that had escaped from the 12 colonies; only 163 had escaped from New Caprica; thus they had 41,413 survivors cramped in the remaining ships.

And they were not happy.

The radio chatter over the past week was increasingly on the dwindling food and water supplies; the soaring crime and disease rate.

They were also talking about 'Earth'.

Many were beginning to believe it did not exist.

Dee knew how they felt; for she didn't believe in 'Earth ' either; but she was smart enough to keep her opinions to herself.

She heard a familiar voice and looked up to see her husband enter the CIC; he stopped to speak to the marines posted at the entrance.

Commander Lee's handsome face was lined with tiredness; but he managed to exude a sense of strength; her heart ached as she thought of the tough decisions he had to make day by day.

As if he could hear her thoughts; he turned and looked at her; he smiled a little then walked to the conference room where Admiral Adama, Commander Tigh, Felix Gaeta ,President Roslin and Vice President Zadek had entered earlier.

Dee stared at the door for several moments; she turned back to her monitor with a small nervous smile of her own.

Somehow they were going to make it; she had to believe in that.

XXIV

**Conference of the CIC ; **_**Battlestar Galactica.**_

The five people in the room looked up as Lee came into the room.

"Sir," he nodded to his commanding officer "madam president and vice president; the pilots and crew are on the way."

Zarek narrowed his eyes. "Who exactly did we pick for this job ?"

Lee looked at him calmly. "Quite a number; I have a list of people..."

"I'm especially interested in the pilots" interrupted the vice president rudely.

Lee was silent for a while. " Lieutenant Constanza, Lieutenant Thrace and Lieutenant Agathon."

"You mean Karl Agathon ?" asked President Roslin

"No; his wife."

Zarek and Roslin stared at him in shock; while a rarely sober Tigh was muttering under his breath. Felix wisely kept silent.

Lee thought he heard Tigh say. "Frakking bad idea."

"You're not serious ! It's bad enough we are entrusting this mission to an obviously insane Lieutenant Starbuck; but you want to include a Cylon as well !" exclaimed Zarek.

"Oh yes we are," stepped in Admiral Adama " don't forget Lieutenant Agathon saved this fleet more than once; I think she's shown that we can trust her."

Zarek glared at him. " Oh really ? I seem to remember that when we were on New Caprica; her _'brethen'_ tortured and executed some of us.

You were not there _'_Admiral' when the president and I were lined up with others in front of a Cylon firing squad ! So please; understand when I state I only trust dead skinjobs!"

"She saved your lives that day Mr Vice President," said Lee coldly " or have you conveniently forgotten that ?"

Zarek turned his cold eyes on the commander. "Oh I have not forgotten; so yes she did save us...but the question remains; for what ? So that we could lead the Cylons to Earth ? How stupid are you people ?"

Roslin sighed and spoke up before a fight broke out.

"Gentlemen; I understand you each have valid reasons to be in opposing camps; but people this is not the time for it."

She looked at the Admiral. "We know you trust her and since you have not failed us; we will trust your judgement; just try to understand that it will take some of us a long time to believe the way you do."

Admiral Adama looked at her for a long time. "Fair enough; Mrs President."

He looked at his son. " Get the star charts."

_20 minutes later._

A marine came into the room to inform them that the three pilots and one specialist had arrived.

Sharon knew something big was underway when she saw the 6 people in the room; however she could barely suppress a shiver when she noticed Zarek's flat stare in her direction.

President Roslin completely ignored her; Felix gave her a nervous nod; while Colonel Tigh stared at her balefully with his remaining eye.

A daily reminder of what the cylons had done to him on New Caprica.

"Sirs" chorused the pilots and one specialist as they faced the a few of the most powerful people in the fleet.

"At ease," said Admiral Adama.

He looked at each of them for a few minutes.

"The four of you are gathered her because you 4 are the best that we can spare for what needs to be done," he paused.

"It's no secret that now we are trying to find the Thirteenth Tribe. Our analysts have had little significant data to go on; however we may have gotten a break.

The star charts in this area are identical to ones found in a copy of the Kobol Scrolls; it indicates there is a planet 4 jumps away which may contain a star-map leading to Earth."

He nodded at Lieutenant Thrace. " Lieutenant you found it yesterday when you scouted the last star system which you gave the designation 'Corona system'."

Everyone looked at Starbuck; she was just as stunned as the others. The day before ; she and other pilots had scouted the nearby solar systems for food and water; she had found one planet that looked like it would have what the fleet had been barely surviving on.

Edible algae.

"Yes sir; it had 4 planets; only one was an Algae planet sir."

Admiral Adama looked at Felix. "Please explain the rest."

The former tactical officer cleared his throat. " Admiral Adama is right; the Ancient scrolls contain a star chart; which we did not notice until recently and it is identical to the Corona System.

The words on the chart are in ancient kobolian and it states '_when the 3 moons lie in one path with Apollo; one who knows of the a path to the home of the thirteenth will be in the temple of Hera; but fair warning to all who come..._

Sharon felt herself go pale when she heard the name she had given her daughter.

_...on this day the temple will be destroyed."_

There was silence for several moments.

"What the frak does that mean ?" the angry question came from Zarek.

Felix took a nervous breath before answering. "From the data Lieutenant Thrace brought back; there will be an alignment of the 3 moons with the sun; hence the 'Apollo 'reference. This will cause a perfect total solar eclipse.

From our calculations this happens once every 3000 years and will occur in the next 4 hours and 22 minutes.

There will be a particular area on the surface of the planet where this total eclipse can be seen; so that will reduce the area we need to search."

"What about the rest of it ? Especially about someone being in the temple for the last 3 millennia and also about it been destroyed ?" demanded Zarek

Felix looked at the ex-convict. "I...I don't know sir."

The vice president looked like he wanted to murder the former tactical officer.

"Maybe it's a warning."

Everyone looked at Lieutenant Constanza with surprise.

"Maybe the thirteenth tribe left clues to Earth...like a recording but also left a self destruct mechanism that would be triggered off once the path was discovered," he shrugged "I would do the same if I didn't want too many people to know where I was going, sir."

Adama nodded. "Perhaps; but we have a bigger problem. Baltar has a copy of the scrolls and he will figure this out and most likely tell the Cylons." He looked at each of the four in front of him.

"We need to get there first; collect the data we need and if there is no self destruct device; we destroy the temple."

Most of the people in the room flinched; what he was proposing was sacrilege; now they knew why the Quorum was not aware of this meeting.

Adama had not finished. "This is where you come in Cally; you're now our bomb expert. Specialist Galen Tyrol will be working on another project."

He fixed each of them with a steely glare. " I do not have to tell you how important it is that this mission stays secret; if this goes according to plan then you would have done the fleet a tremendous service.

May the Gods go with you."

"So say we all," added Roslin softly as she turned cold eyes on Sharon.

The cylon found herself swallowing nervously.

XXV

_**A Cylon Basestar.**_

Caprica Six placed her forehead against the bars as she stared at the man sleeping within the cell.

She could tell from his rapid eye movements that he was dreaming; she doubted it was a nice dream he was having.

D'Anna had almost killed him during the interrogation; she closed her eyes as she tried in vain to block out the memory of his screams and the blood.

And for what ?

A way to Earth.

2 weeks after they took him from New Caprica; Cavil had been demanding they have a solid reason for leaving Baltar alive.

It had come down to a vote and luckily for Baltar; Caprica Six had been in his corner.

However Cavil had demanded he be 'interrogated' for the route to Earth.

Thus had begun one week of brutal psychological and physical torture; which had stopped when he kept screaming on and on about the ancient Scrolls.

It had taken a lot of arguments to get Cavil to agree that the Scrolls may hold the key. She and the other models had studied the scrolls extensively with a frightened Baltar guiding them and they soon identified the star map.

Who would have thought that part of the map had been in the scrolls for the past 3000 years ?

It took a week of torturing a frightened man to discover it.

She sighed and turned away from the cell. " See that he is comfortable."

The centurion based at his cell door; nodded once.

She walked away in blessed silence; she had gone several feet when she got a message in her cerebral micro-communication chip.

"_Caprica Six; please report to the resurrection chamber."_

She frowned and picked up speed; she recognised the voice. It was Boomer.

In a few minutes she reached the chamber and before she entered she heard a baby crying. It was Hera; the 5 month old cylon-human hybrid.

She was very restless and irritable and was pushing Boomer's hands away.

D'anna was in the corner watching the scene with distress on her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Caprica Six as she walked up to the bed and tried to comfort the little one; the baby kept crying.

Boomer looked frustrated. "Something is not right; she been crying a lot; but I can't tell what is wrong."

Six looked at the Eight in shock. "Has she eaten; maybe she's thirsty ?"

"It's not that Six," said D'anna " she's not keen to eat as much as she used to; however she's still drinking and she has a low temperature."

Caprica Six took the baby in her arms and tried to calm her down. The child screamed louder.

The three female cylons were so preoccupied with the child; that they did not notice when someone else entered the room.

"What in hades is that racket ?"

The three turned to face a Cavil, a number One.

"I think she's ill..." started Six.

"And so ?" he asked coldly " do shut her up or I will do it for you."

D'anna moved and placed herself in-front of Caprica Six and the screaming baby. "Over my dead body."

Cavil smiled coldly at her. "Please; don't tempt me."

He winced when Hera's screaming got even louder.

"Frak! I can't hear myself think! Boomer; D'anna come with me." He moved to go and noticed they were not following.

He sighed. " Fine, I promise not to harm your little poor excuse of a living experiment; now will you _please_ come with me ? I will only ask nicely this once."

Boomer and D'anna looked at each other; then at Caprica Six.

The six nodded at them. " Go, we will be fine."

Cavil's smile returned when the two female cylons followed him out of the resurrection room.

"What's this all about ?" asked an irritated D'anna when they had walked for a bit.

"Our search paid off; we found the star system drawn in the Ancient Scrolls."

D'anna and Boomer shared an excited look; their animosity towards Cavil forgotten.

"How far away are we ?" asked Boomer.

"3 jumps away; however something tells me we better be the first there."

D'anna gave him a puzzled look. "You're worried about that strange passage of the temple been destroyed aren't you ?"

Cavil snorted. "Not that, you idiot; what do you think the humans will do if they get there first ?"

" They will destroy it," said Boomer realizing what he meant.

"Praise the Non-existent Gods of Kobol; you do have a brain!" said Cavil sarcastically.

XXVI

_**The Xavier, en-route to Earth.**_

Deck 1, The Bridge.

Jean leaned back in her seat as she watched Q Junior and Laura take turns in piloting the ship. She could not help but smile as EMEH corrected Laura who mock-glared at him before turning back to what she had been doing.

It was just 3 of them on the bridge; 2 hours ago, Wolverine had gone to the holodeck on Deck two for ' a run through a recreation of Grand Central Park of New York City of 2292.'

She had been in there a few times and though it looked real; she knew it wasn't.

It had been exactly one week since her meltdown in the Astrophysic's lab; then she slept for 24hrs and came out the next day to see Q Junior, Laura and Logan camped outside her door.

After Q Junior checked the engines he had joined Laura and Logan; they had spent the whole day in the corridor.

That had touched her and the Phoenix.

'_It was awfully sweet of them,"_ remarked the other part of her in a soft sincere voice.

"_Glad you appreciate it,"_ Jean thought back to the Phoenix.

It had been an odd week; Jean had negotiated with the Phoenix and laid down a few rules.

Do not read any mind without their permission; as expected the Phoenix had laughed at this; then stated she would give it a try.

Don't try and kill anyone; the Phoenix had been quiet for a long time before stating that Jean had got to be joking.

Dr Grey had counted softly to 20 when she noticed things trembling a little around her; then the Phoenix had added the following.

' _Well...if no one tries to kill me...I won't kill them, happy now ma'am?'_

Thus they had reached some sort of agreement.

Jean's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the turbolift swish open.

Laura looked back briefly before turning back to her flying.

Logan smiled at Jean before taking the Captain's chair; she could see from his wet hair that he had recently showered. He looked refreshed.

She smiled back at him. " How was the run ?"

He shrugged. " It was okay; though I know it's not real. I wish we could go planet side soon; I get a bit restless cooped up in small spaces."

Jean grinned. The Xavier was huge but she understood what he meant; and she was glad he had mentioned it for she was having a bit of 'cabin fever' herself.

"_Ah ha! I know what you want to do!" teased the Phoenix._

Jean mentally rolled her eyes. "Captain; how about we go planet side...for real ?"

Logan stared at her in surprise; none of them noticed Laura turning round to stare as well. Q Junior sighed and took over control of her's console before they crashed into a nearby star.

Jean looked at the ceiling. " Xavier; is there a star system nearby which we could visit safely without suits ?"

"There is one Dr Grey; however we just passed it; would you like me to reverse our course ?"

Jean thought about it and was about to say no when Logan replied.

"Yes, Xavier please reverse our course; I would like to see this system as well."

She looked at Logan and could see a wide grin on his face.

Even Laura had a small smile on her face.

"About time," muttered Q Junior in a very low voice.

XXVII

_15 minutes later._

The Xavier moved towards a small blue and green planet which was in orbit around a star which had rings around it. The four crew member stared at the viewscreen as the ship's computer explained it was a Class M planet with three moons and a Class G sun.

"It's beautiful," said Jean in awe.

Logan nodded but he wanted to know certain facts. " Any indigenous people , Xavier ?"

"No, however there is life; non-sentient feline like creatures. Also; the star is giving off intermittent strong electromagnetic pulses which could disrupt transportation and communication between the surface and the ship.

But I have detected what may be artificial structures...and what may be a radio signal"

Q Junior looked up at surprise at the last part of the sentence.

"Come again ?" asked Logan.

"He means ruins and someone left their radio on," interpreted Laura .

"Yes Laura," added the computer " I am unable to ascertain the age of these structures; close inspection would be needed and the radio signals is of poor quality; it may be due to the sun's EMP."

Logan frowned; wondering how safe this would be.

"Anything else we should know?"

"In exactly 59.6 minutes; the 3 moons will align with the sun to create a total solar eclipse; from my calculations this occurs every 3000 years and will last for exactly 6 minutes and 19 seconds," answered Xavier.

The captain looked at Jean. " You still want to go ?"

Jean stared at the planet for several moments. "Yes I do; it is uninhabited. I can't sense any minds apart from those on this ship."

She turned to them with barely contained excitement. " Just imagine; ruins, a radio signal on an uninhabited planet and a total solar eclipse on another planet ? I definitely want to take a look.

_10 minutes later on the way to the shuttle bay, deck 3..._

"You just want you two to go ?" asked Q Junior in surprise.

"Yes; we'll be fine," said Logan for the third time "and by the by you're in command while we're gone."

The EMEH nodded with an anxious look on his face.

"Why can't we come?" asked Laura with a suspicious expression on her face.

Jean sighed. "Laura I know you have been studying the Starfleet Safety Ship Protocols. What does it say about away missions?"

"We're not Starfleet," pointed out Laura.

"Please humour me."

The female teen pouted. "On away missions a minimal number of crew is advised to remain behind in order to render assistance to the away team if needed."

"Exactly," said Jean " we're going to a planet where tele-communications may be affected and also where transportation is not advisable."

"Yeah...about that; how about having transporter com-badges just in case its needed ?" asked Q Junior with a worried look on his face.

Logan was already shaking his head. "I don't like using that transporter thing; and we've got radios on us. So try not to worry."

He missed the concerned look that the two teens shared.

In a few minutes they reached shuttle-bay one where the Delta Flyer Alpha and Beta were. Logan stared at the two and took the 2nd one.

"We had some bad luck with the Alpha," said the captain when he saw the identical puzzled looks on his crew members.

He didn't have to recount what had occurred when Laura took off her helmet on a hazardous planet.

"Who's the pilot ?" asked Laura still not happy they were going without her and Q Junior.

Logan smirked. " You're not the only one who took flying lessons Laura."

She stared at him then turned to Jean. " You better have the Auto pilot on."

Jean smiled. " It will be alright; we'll only be gone for a short time."

"Yeah right," chorused the teens in unison.

Jean shook her head and followed Logan into the shuttle she had no idea who created Q Junior's program; he sounded almost human.

"_Uh huh," said the Phoenix with a laugh._

Jean had no time to pounder on that cryptic expression because she was busy strapping herself in. She had never seen Logan fly a plane or craft so some part of her was a bit worried.

XXVIII

_**The Xavier, Deck 1; the Bridge.**_

After watching the Captain's slightly shaky takeoff; the two remaining crew members returned to the bridge.

"How long do you think they will be on the surface ?" asked Laura.

Q Junior shrugged. " Depends on what they find; if the ruins are that exciting they could be there for hours."

She looked at the viewscreen as it showed the planet Logan and Jean were flying to.

"I wonder who built those ruins; how long ago and what happened to them ?"

Q Junior rubbed his jaw a bit nervously. " Who knows ? Maybe the captain and Dr Grey may find the answers down there ."

The EMEH _knew_ who built the ruins; after-all it was his father who first showed him the destruction of the 12 colonies; then took him back in time to watch the 13th tribe travel through this current solar system.

What concerned him was who had left the radio signal; it had not been there the last time he and his father visited the system 3 millennia ago.

"A very good question," said a familiar voice beside Q Junior; he turned with mounting dread to face a Q; one that he hoped to never see again.

XXIX

_**Enroute to the Corona System; ETA 15 minutes 32 seconds.**_

Lieutenant Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace checked the DRADIS one more time; so far so good. But she knew it would not last long.

She could bet her viper that the Cylons were already on their way to Hera's planet.

That was the name she had decided to give the planet; only 4 people in the team of 42 people knew what the real mission was.

"Hey Lieutenant Starbuck you there ?"

Kara swore under her breath. "Ensign Longshot; you were told to maintain radio silence until 14 minutes to our destination."

In is viper; Samuel T 'Longshot Anders' grinned. "Yes ma'am ; however its exactly 14mins and 5 seconds to go; so what's another 5 seconds ?"

Kara sighed. "What is it now ?"

Ander's smile slipped at the continuing irritation in his wife's voice.

When he was also picked to assist in getting 'edible algae' and found out he would be working closely with Kara; he had been excited.

Since New Caprica; she had been withdrawn; angry and very irritable. It had been made worse when the 'secret trials' of cylon collaborators started 2 weeks after the escape.

He had lost his taste for vengeance and quit the Circle; only to be replaced by his wife who still wanted payback.

Anders had found out about how Felix Gaeta narrowly avoided been spaced when Galen Tyrol realized that the former tactical officer had been secretly helping the resistance during the occupation.

"I just wanted to know when you were going to tell us about why we're really here."

There was silence for several seconds. " Who have you been talking to ?" asked Kara.

"No one; I recognized the signs between you and the cylon."

"She has a name and rank Ensign," said Kara through gritted teeth.

Anders chewed his lower lip as he looked out his window to see his wife glaring at him from her cockpit.

"And since you're so keen to find out_ Ensign_; try to be patient while I inform you and the rest of the team."

She switched on the other radio transmitters which were connected to each of the other small ships travelling with her.

"Attention all hands; this is Lieutenant Kara Thrace; there was a reason for radio silence until this point. In exactly 13.4 minutes we will be entering the Corona System to obtain food and water.

However there is another reason why we are coming with only the ships we have," she paused "we have an additional mission to search this planet for a way to the Thirteenth Tribe."

Anders stared at her viper in shock.

"That mission is very important; and it's most likely that the Cylons also know of it; the first one who gets there obtains the way to Earth. Your orders are as follows; once we enter the system a select group will head for the where the map may be hidden; the rest of you are to obtain food and if the cylons appear...retreat back to the Galactica."

There was silence for several seconds.

"Are there any questions ?"

"Lieutenant, why can't we all go together?" asked Racetrack.

"Because I'm _sure _the cylons will be there and I need you to be the backup plan when it _all_ fraks up."

Anders saw Starbuck turn her head to face him and even from a distance he could see the tiredness and fear on her face.

"We won't disappoint you Lieutenant," said Anders solemnly.

There a long silence before she replied.

"Thank you," said Kara softly.

**Hi everyone; thanks for reading; hope you like the above chapter.**

**Dur'id The Druid: thanks for your comments; it's given me a few more ideas I am trying to work into the story. Sorry about the long wait ; I wish we had more hours in the day! Have a great week and enjoy the above. Please read and review.**


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE.

XXX

_**The Xavier, Deck 1, The Bridge.**_

Q junior stared at the being before him; then quickly checked on Laura who was perfectly frozen in place; still looking at the viewscreen.

"Don't worry; I have stopped time...something you will not be able to do any longer."

Q Junior stood up and approached the man warily.

He had chosen his favourite avatar of a man in his 50s dressed in the butternut Uniform of the Confederate States Military Forces.

His rank was that of a three star general; and thus liked to be called 'General Q'.

Q Junior had every reason to fear this particular Q; for he was the one who took away his powers during his time on the USS Voyager and he was also the one who had been adamant that Q Junior remain powerless even after he had learnt his lesson.

That would have been the case if not for his parents; who had bargained with the leaders of the Q Continuum.

"What are you doing here ?" asked Q Junior tersely " and what do you mean by me not been able to freeze time any longer ?"

General Q walked around the ship; looking over the consoles and finally stopping infront of the frozen Laura.

"I must say; that I am impressed. I bet against a few Qs that this 'project' would not last 2weeks," he laughed dryly " I still stand by what I believe but maybe you just need a few more months to get bored before you give up."

Q Junior inserted himself between the General and Laura.

"Stay away from her."

The older Q looked at him and smirked. "Or what ? You are now basically the 'thing' you falsely described yourself as ; so what can you do to me ?"

Q Junior glared at him. " What the hell are you talking about ?"

"It means he has taken most of your powers son."

The two turned to see Q senior had joined them and from the way he was glaring at the General; it was obvious he was not a happy camper.

"Ah, Q; so good of you to join us," exclaimed General Q in a cheerful voice.

Q walked up to him and stuck his face very close to the older Q. " I thought you agreed for me to be here before you told him what you had done."

The General looked up at the ceiling with a thoughtful look on his face.

" Did I ? I must have forgotten," he grinned at the indignant Q and continued walking around the bridge looking at the various machines.

Q Junior felt an emotion similar to fear start to build up in his chest. " Father; what's happened ?"

The General spoke before Q could say a word.

"What has occurred is that you have 'bent' a number of laws young Q; which is the reason you haven't lost all your powers."

Q Junior glared at him. " I explained fully to the leaders of the Q continuum what I was about to do before I did it and also gave full guarantee that my father would be watching over me while I did it."

The General nodded. " And yes you did...however I was not on the panel that day and thus was unable to point out to my soft hearted colleagues the so-many ways your intervention could go oh-so-terribly wrong."

The smile disappeared from his face and he disappeared only to appear face to face to a very nervous Q Junior.

"Since the day you built this ship; you have found loopholes around our 'own' version of the Prime Directive! You plucked these 3 out of a timeline and expect them to save those idiots!

When will you learn that there is a balance to how the universe works and survives ?"

Q Junior swallowed nervously but maintained eye contact.

" What exactly did I do wrong ?"

The General rolled his eyes at the ceiling. "Where do I start ?"

"1st calling yourself an EMEH; despite the fact that you have a trio of very distrustful and suspicious humans on board. How do you think they will react when you have to tell them what you '_really_' are ?"

Q Junior opened his mouth to talk then shut it quickly.

"Ah-ha! You didn't think of that did you ?"

"He's not the first to do so General, if I recall you have done so as well. Remember the United States Civil War ?" pointed out Q senior in a hard voice.

The General was not fazed. " Oh yes I remember that well; and I also recall that it caused an absolute disaster. That is why I have suggested time and time again we tell the younger races who _and _we are when we intervene."

He continued. " 2nd; you took them almost 400 years into the future; do you realize how much damage that could do to the existing timeline ?"

"I took only 3 people and I checked and researched and saw that there would a very minimal impact in taking them this far."

The General nodded. " Oh yes research is good; but youngling do you really understand the significance of what you did ? I think not."

"And third; but certainly not least; what will you do when some of them die ? It could be the captain; the good 'psychotic doctor'...I must say her power levels are quite impressive or your little clawed friend here ?"

"I won't let that happen !" yelled Q Junior.

"And that is what I am afraid of!" roared General Q.

There was silence for several moments.

"Youngling; you do not have the capacity to deal with the deaths of mortals in your care. There have been Qs who have gotten too attached to the mortals they interacted with and failed saving them.

Those Qs who had been around for several _millennia_; became destructive and we had to judge them and end them. While you; are still a child and already has a rap sheet that gives me nightmares!"

Q Junior put his head down in shame only to feel a supportive hand on his left shoulder.

"My son is more capable then you know," said Q senior in a firm voice.

General Q looked at him. "Well done to you for having such faith in him but I am not prepared to take that chance."

He turned away and looked at the view screen showing the planet with it's 3 moons.

"What are you planning to do ?" asked Q Junior in a cowed voice.

General Q looked at him. " It's not what I am planning; it's more like what I have done and what you will do next."

Father and son gave him a puzzled look.

"I have placed a beacon on the planet below so that it would give your crew more of an incentive to visit it."

"Why ?" asked Q Junior.

"So that this whole intervention thing speeds up and we can then make our final decision."

"What kind of decision ?" asked Q Junior; now very worried.

"There will come a time when they will realize you are...or was different. That is a Q.

One of them already knows...the Phoenix; but for some personal reason she has not told the good doctor.

However once they find out...and trust me when I say it's better now than later...there will be hell to pay especially if they decide to deal with the Colonials."

"You're not taking them back to their timeline ?" asked Q Junior hopefully.

The General looked at him with narrowed eyes for a long time; that had been his intention at first and he had been expecting the teen Q to storm off or throw a tantrum but the boy seemed to be missing another very important point.

"Q Junior; you do realize that I have reduced your abilities."

The teen rolled his eyes. " Yeah you mentioned it; but you have not answered my question; are you taking them back ?"

The General thought hard before answering. "No; whether they help or don't help the colonials they get to stay in this timeline..."

Q Junior sighed in relief.

"...unless all three state they want to return before they reach Earth."

Father and son stared at him

He continued. " Anyway; I have to leave now; lot's of work back at the office. I advise you to quickly figure out what you can do and can no longer do. Also; your parents will not be able to speak to you or assist you until this whole thing is over."

He turned to go. "By the by; because you bent more than enough rules; you will be watched closely and may or may not be tried in the Court for not following our Prime Directive. Q senior; don't make it a long goodbye."

Then before they could reply he vanished in a flash of light.

There was silence for a long moment.

Q senior turned to his son. "Junior; listen to me. I have been in this situation more than once; he's right; you have to tell them soon."

"But..." began Junior.

"I don't have much time; I have to go back to your mother before she starts another Q Civil War. She promised to wait before she challenged the General to a duel."

Q Junior's eyes widened.

"However; just thought you should know; things around that planet that Logan and Jean went to are about to go _'extremely' _south. Take care and keep your head."

He hugged his son and disappeared before Q Junior could say a word.

"Q; why are you standing?"

He turned to see Laura looking at him strangely; she saw the worry on his face.

"What's wrong ?"

For the first time he was at loss for words. "Em...I need to check something that I forgot about. See you in a moment."

He left the bridge hurriedly; not seeing the puzzled look on Laura's face.

Since when did computer programs forget things ?

XXXI

Jean closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air smelt fresh and the sun felt good on her face.

"Atmosphere and gravity almost identical to Earth's own," remarked Logan as he looked at the tricorder in his hand.

Jean felt her mouth curve into a surprised smile. Who would have thought that Logan would learn how one of those devices worked ?

"What else does it say ?"

The captain kept looking at the tricorder; then frowned. " Not entirely sure; I just figured out how to use this stuff last week; on the last planet fall it was Laura and Junior who were the techno-experts."

Jean took the tricorder from him. "We're not far from the ruins; and the radio signal is stronger. We have exactly 29 minutes until the solar eclipse occurs."

Logan looked around; he had landed the Delta Flyer beta amongst tall leafy trees. At the moment he could see only green bushy vegetation and no other signs of life. "Sensing anything Jean ?"

She shook her head. "Just the feline like creatures."

"Big cats ?" asked Logan as he cracked his knuckles in readiness.

"Yeah, but they are pretty shy and also far from here, come on let's head to the ruins. I don't want to miss the solar eclipse." She set off on a brisk walk.

Logan looked around once more before closing the hatch; he typed a few instructions on the door controls and the ship's white and blue outer covering became camouflage thus blending in with the environment.

He turned to go and saw Jean had stopped and was watching him with a question in her eyes.

"Just a precaution Jean."

XXXII

Logan tried contacting the Xavier to inform the others of their arrival but all they got was static. "Guess the signal is still very poor," said Logan

Jean nodded."By the way; pretty good flying."

Logan looked at her and grinned. "Glad you think so; you should have seen the look on Q Junior's face the first time I crashed the flying simulator.

After I did so the next 6 times; he told me that he as an EMEH would be terrified as a passenger if I flew one for real."

"Thanks for telling me this after we landed Captain," said Jean in a dry voice.

Within minutes they arrived at a bunch of crumbling low walls which had been laid out in a semi-circular pattern; there was a moderate sized building in the centre. It looked worn but still strong and it had only one entrance.

Logan cast a critical eye over it. "I wonder how old it is."

"3000 years and 6 months," promptly answered Jean as she used the tricorder to scan the exterior " at least that's what this device says."

She paused when she came upon a set of letters by entrance.

"Logan you need to see this."

He walked over to her and gazed at the letters for a long time.

"Is that...?"

"Yes it is...Latin, very old Latin." The two looked at each other.

"Correct me if I'm wrong; but humans didn't discover star travel until Americans landed on the moon in 1960," said Logan.

Jean shook her head. " The Americans were not the first in space; it was the Russians. But I get where you're coming from; who ever built this either originated on this planet or travelled to Earth from here."

"So you're saying aliens migrated to Earth 3000 years ago ?" asked Logan in a sceptic tone.

"Possibly," said Jean " there are ancient lore that depicted 'gods' descending from the heavens and 'blessing' or 'destroying' mere mortals. A lot of scientists have argued that this proved advanced aliens visited Earth millennia ago."

Logan looked at the text once more. "Whatever you say; can you interpret it ?"

"My latin is a bit rusty but I think it says...Hera's temple."

Logan frowned. "Hera is a greek goddess."

"Yes; there is more...any of the thirteen may enter...then the rest is faded out."

The two share a puzzled look.

"Well...we might as well go in and check it out," said Jean as she walked in.

"Is that wise ?" asked Logan as he hurried after her " what if its booby-trapped ? In an Indiana-Jones way ?"

"I still want to have a look besides the radio signal is coming from inside this temple" said Jean stubbornly as she put on a bright search light.

"Okay, if you insist," said Logan as his senses went into hyper alert mode; something did not sit right. He suddenly remembered the Alien movie when Lieutenant Ellen Ripley was concerned about exploring the huge alien ship.

Well; if there were any such 'eggs' in this temple; he had a few photon torpedoes with their names on it.

XXXIII

Jean kept moving forward; the inside of the temple had only one long wide corridor; no side rooms. She and Logan finally came to a door at the end of the corridor. It was closed and on the stone door was a handprint.

"Locked doors could mean trouble," said Logan.

Jean used the tricorder on it. " Or useful information; this is a human sized handprint; which means humans may have built it. I can't detect any radiation or poisonous gases and the signal is coming from behind this door."

She gave the tricorder to Logan and began to remove her right leather glove.

"Wait, what are you doing ?" asked Logan in alarm. Jean looked at him.

"It will be alright...I feel I need to do this...now," then she trust out her hand and slammed it into the depression.

The area around her right hand glowed red; then a female electronic voice spoke startling the two. "Please state your home planet."

The two humans looked at each other.

"I don't like this Jean; we should leave," said Logan in a worried tone.

"Answer does not co-relate with my memory; please state your home planet," asked the electronic voice again.

"Earth! " answered Jean ; while Logan stared at her in surprise.

There was silence for a bit; then the area around the hand began to glow blue.

"Welcome; children of the Thirteenth Tribe."

Jean withdrew her hand as the door began to slide backwards. She and Logan gazed at the revealing doorway.

"Jean this is..."

"Dangerous ?" added the telepath " I can't sense any other sentient life or ill intent; but the Phoenix feels this is very important and should not be ignored.

And to date she has never been wrong." She took the tricorder from Logan.

"Come on; I still want to see the eclipse _after_ this."

The interior was a wide circular chamber; the walls began to glow with a pale yellowish light as they entered; the only thing in the middle was a pulpit-like structure made out of stone. As the two went near it they could hear a soft pinging sound. It was the source of the radio signal.

Jean used the scanner on it. "This is definitely the source of the transmission."

"Can you figure out what its saying," said Logan as he looked around the empty room. He was relieved to see no egg-like pods.

"No; it's more like an old locating beacon," she looked at the top of the podium. "There's another handprint here." She moved her hand towards it.

"Jean don't! " shouted Logan. She stopped her hand inches from it.

"We don't know what that will activate...it could be a bomb or virus or something deadly. I think we should leave and come back with Q Junior he may be able to take apart that thing and identify any bugs or problems."

Jean was silent for a long while then she looked at him; her eyes were pure black.

Uh Oh, thought Logan.

"_**Captain; you have no idea how important this is."**_

Then her eyes cleared and Jean was back; she took one look at Logan and knew who had been talking to him.

"What did she do ?" she asked in a frantic voice.

"Nothing," said Logan in a soothing voice " she just said this part is very important...I think we should listen to her."

"What...why?" asked Jean in a scared voice as she moved away from the podium.

"Because...you said she's always right and I have a bad feeling; ignoring her advice would not be wise." The two looked at each other for several moments.

Jean took a deep breath walked back to the podium; she put her hand over the handprint then pressed down.

Suddenly there was a sound like a bell ringing and 5 shadowy people strode into the room from the only entrance and walked towards the podium

_Snikt ! _Logan's claws were out in a blink of an eye.

"Relax Logan; this is a holographic recording," said Jean as she moved back to stand beside the captain.

The five people were wearing long robes and hoods; the last two were having an argument of some kind. It was in ancient latin. The first person to reach the podium turned to them and gave what appeared to be a blistering command and they stopped shouting at each other.

Then they lined up facing the podium and the two mutants; then each removed their hoods; they were all human

"Are we recording this..." started Logan.

"Yes , yes just listen," said Jean impatiently as she held the tri-corder towards the podium.

The two mutants looked at the recording of 5 humans; two women and 3 men. One of the men stepped forward; he was the one who had reprimanded the other two; he spoke for several minutes and also seemed to introduce the other four. As he spoke there was obvious sadness and regret on his face.

Logan had a feeling whatever he was describing did not have a happy ending.

Each of the 5 spoke as well; then the leader ended it with the following words.

"_Ego vobis valedico."_

The five proceeded to walk out and began to vanish before they reached the doorway. Logan and Jean stared at where they had disappeared.

"What was that ?"

"The last words were 'I say goodbye to you," Jean looked back at the podium; the pinging sound had stopped " the radio is no longer transmitting."

Logan looked around the empty room; his gut feeling was telling him they had to leave now.

"Jean we need to..." then the whole building shook; he quickly looked at her.

She was shaking her head frantically. " It wasn't me ! or the Phoenix!"

There was a second shake; worse than the first and dust fell from the ceilings. Both looked at each other and started running to the door.

This was the beginning of a natural earthquake.

XXXIV

_**The Xavier, Deck 1 corridor; shortly after the departure of the Delta flyer...**_

The first thing Q Junior did once he was in the corridor was try to stop time.

It failed; he tried to translocate himself as all members of the Q continuum could and it also failed. He tried so many other things that he used to do with a mere thought and they failed also.

Q Junior suddenly found himself hyperventilating; he tried phasing through metal and was relieved it still worked so did the solidification and increasing of body-mass density abilities.

He sat down on the corridor and put in his head in his hands; trying to understand what the General had done. Part of him wanted to scream and shout; while part of him was telling him to calm down.

The sound of the doors opening had him trying to get up quickly but Laura caught sight of him sitting on the floor.

"Q, what is going on? You are beginning to worry me," said Laura in a wary voice.

He stared at her for a long time; he contemplated lying ; then remembered her words. " Trust has to be earned."

"Laura, I...there is something I need to tell you...all 3 of you."

She looked at him oddly. He opened his mouth to continue.

"Warning; new ships have entered vicinity and are changing course to intercept. Weapon's energy build-up noted."

The two teens stared at each other in shock.

"Erect full shields; ready weapons but do not fire !" ordered Q Junior as he and Laura ran back onto the bridge.

XXXV

**Raptor one.**

Lieutenant Sharon Agathon saw two things once she jumped into the Corona system.

The planet which Starbuck called Hera and the strange ship in orbit.

Her first thought was that the cylons had arrived first; then she realized she did not recognize this ship model.

"Frak! The cylons got here before us!" said Kara angrily as she powered up her weapons and brought them to bear on the strange vessel that was still out of range.

"Starbuck; hold your fire!" said Sharon quickly " there's only one ship and if the cylons were coming ; they would arrive with heavy and light raiders and at least a basestar ! Then again this does not look like any of the cylon ships!"

"She's got a point and beside this ship is not showing up normally on the DRADIS; it may be due to the EMP from the sun or...," his voice trailed off as he noticed something on his sensors "...new DRADIS contacts!"

Before he finished speaking; one basestar appeared; accompanied by heavy and light cylon raiders.

The cylons had finally arrived.

XXXVI

_**The Bridge; Deck 1; the Xavier.**_

"I have detected new contacts using a new form of FTL and they are now between us and the 1st group; this new arrival is also powering up weapons."

Q Junior swallowed nervously as he tried to recall how Aunt Janeway would have handled a similar situation. If only he could get her here.

"We need to get Jean and Logan back," stated Laura "Xavier, can you raise them ?"

"The EMP is not allowing any transmissions and the transporters will not work; by the way the new contacts have dispatched ships to the surface and their largest ship is turning to face us."

The viewscreen magnified to show the strange ship which looked like two Ys attached to each other by the axis; facing opposite directions.

"Thos ships..." said Laura as she recognised them " Xavier, scan for areas of weakness and locations of the power batteries and weapons."

"Scanning now."

Q Junior looked at her. " What are you doing ?"

Laura walked to the helm and activated the weapons console.

"Preparing for battle; we're Jean and Logan's best hope of coming back from that planet alive."

"By starting a war?" asked Q Junior in shock.

She looked at him with a hard expression on her face. " They are sending fighters down to the surface and powering up weapons as they turn to us; I call that a potential act of aggression. I would rather hit first then later...unless you have a better suggestion."

"Yes I do; we try to communicate at least !" but deep down Q Junior knew there was a 90% change that the cylons would attack regardless of what he had to say.

"Scanning complete; there is lack of energy shields. However multiple areas of weakness exist; most vulnerable areas are the power batteries and weapons. However the mothership has launched a malware attack against my systems and was easily repelled and erased."

Q Junior gave a sigh of relief. His firewalls had worked.

At the beginning of this' intervention' he had been sure the cylons would not get past his defences but after General Q's visit he wasn't sure what other mischief the other Q had been up to.

"A computer virus attack ? Now that's an act of war " said Laura grimly bringing Q Junior back to the present chaotic situation.

"Let's try speaking at least."

"Why ?" demanded Laura.

Q Junior was developing a plan as he spoke. " You're right; that was an act of war; but speaking buys the captain and Jean time. I need to get down there and pick them up while you and Xavier distract the cylons."

Laura's eyes narrowed. " The what ?"

Q Junior cursed himself for saying the 'C' word. " I will explain later; but our main objective is to get our crew members back. Agreed ?"

She looked at him for a few moments. " Agreed; I will leave the questions for later but on one condition. I'm coming with you."

Q Junior opened his mouth to argue then stopped at the set stubborn look on her face. " Fine."

XXXVII

_**Aboard the Basestar; the CIC...**_

D'anna was standing beside Cavil and Boomer when their basestar jumped into the system.

"Ah the colonials are here and...who the frak is that ?"

D'anna moved closer to the viewscreen as the sensors noted the dimensions of the strange ship. One thing she was very sure about was this was _not _a colonial ship.

"There are 3 Colonial Raptors, 6 vipers and one unidentified ship which does not fit any of the colonial designs. However it has a name on the side called _'Xavier'._ The colonial ships are moving towards the surface of the nearest planet."

"Hack into the new ship's computer," ordered Cavil.

D'anna looked at him in surprise. "Wait! We don't know who that is or where they are from ?"

Boomer's eyes narrowed. " You think it may belong to the thirteenth tribe?"

"If that this is case then hacking into their systems and taking control is even more important," said Cavil in a hard voice. "Do it."

Boomer nodded and ignored the pleading look on D'anna's face as she sent the malware.

A few seconds later; the Eight gasped in shock when the viral attack was repulsed and destroyed. "That's impossible."

"What happened ?" asked a worried D'anna.

"It...they destroyed the malware; I have never seen firewalls like these..."her voice trailed off. " We're been hailed."

Cavil and D'anna looked at each other.

"Put it on speaker," ordered the One.

"Hello, this is the Xavier; how may I help you today ?" said a calm male voice.

"Who is this and what are you doing here ?" asked Cavil in a deadly tone.

"In case you didn't hear me the first time; this is the Xavier," continued the calm voice "and the answer to your second question is...the purpose of this ship's presence is classified."

"What ?" asked Cavil in surprise.

"That means you do not have authorization mister."

D'anna and Boomer looked at each other; there was something odd about that voice; it didn't sound...human.

"Xavier...are you an AI ?" asked D'anna tentatively.

"AI meaning Artificial Intelligence...you still don't have authorization to know that either," said the calm voice.

Cavil's face darkened with anger. " You will tell me this instance who you are and what you're doing in this system!"

"Why ?"

The veins on the One's face swelled as he tried in vain to contain his rage. "Listen to me you stupid machine...I know exactly what you are. You are a slave to some worthless bag of flesh...I am the leader of the cylons."

Boomer and D'anna looked at him in alarm.

"You will obey me and tell me what I want to know!"

"And if I don't ?"

"You will be boarded and destroyed!"

There was silence for a few seconds.

"You still don't have authorization."

Cavil ordered Boomer to terminate transmission then turned to D'anna with a livid glare in his eyes. "Launch raiders and get one of your sisters to capture that ship intact and whoever is on board it alive. Then dispatch 6 more heavy raiders for the temple. Boomer; Caprica Six , you and I are going down there at once."

D'anna took one look at his expression and wisely kept her opinions to herself.

"I don't think they will let us on; what do we do then ?"

Cavil turned to leave the room. "Then tell the raiders to destroy it if they can't get on board."

D'anna turned back to look at the strange ship. Somehow she knew that Cavil had made a terrible mistake.

"Start jamming the radio waves; launch squadron one to capture the new ship and squadron two will take us four down to the surface."

A golden centurion who had been silent the entire time; nodded before leaving the CIC to carry out his orders.

"God help us all," said D'anna in a soft voice as she continued looking at the strange ship.

XXXVIII

_**Deck 3; shuttle bay 1.**_

"Q; smaller vessels are been launched and headed straight for us and I have detected radio jamming signals from the huge spaceship and the first group of ships are headed towards the surface of the planet," said Xavier.

"Satisfied ?" said Laura " they don't want to talk."

Q Junior nodded; he and Laura had transported down to the shuttlebay to start prepping the Delta One Alpha for the rescue mission. Q had tried talking to the cylons using the shuttle's coms.

"What happens now?" asked Laura.

"The cylons want this ship," she looked at Q Junior.

"We are new; different and just shrugged off and destroyed their most advanced form of malware. They definitely want the Xavier and its crew intact...for now."

Laura nodded; she could read between the lines. The cylons did not seem like a friendly sort.

"I really think you should stay while I..."

Laura ignored him and got into the flyer. " You coming or not ?"

Q Junior sighed once more and followed her in with a resigned look on his face.

It took a few minutes to strap in and attempt take off.

"Xavier; don't let anyone on except for any of its crew; any attempts at communication from the cylons ...or colonials should be redirected to us but if that is not possible; do not speak to them."

"Understood Q, the Paris Evasion Tactic will be deployed as you leave the ship."

"Thanks Xavier," said Q Junior as he expanded the flyers view screen. He looked at Laura; she was strapped in and ready to go.

"Initiate," ordered female teenager.

To anyone watching in space; they saw the strange ship accelerate suddenly towards the basestar and its raiders; then its shields and metal panels flashed a very sharp white light.

Even the centurions and humanoid cylon copies who happened to be watching had to shield their eyes and viewing visors for a few minutes.

Which gave a certain small delta flyer time to eject itself from the shuttle bay and head straight for the surface at a speed that the cylon raiders would have found hard to match.

No one noticed it reach the surface shortly after the colonials landed.

The Xavier in the meantime quickly reversed it's collision course and headed far away from the basestar; as the raiders flew after it.

**Hi everyone; hope you had a great time this past weekend. It's rain and mud for us here in England; especially at the music festivals in Isle of wight and London. Hope you all like the new chapter; the next one is going to have more interaction between the xmen and the characters that make up Battlestar Galactica. **

**Wish me luck and darkplayer35 : thanks for liking the story; I'll try and update more regularly. Have great week people.**


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE

XXXIX

_**Raptor 1; a few minutes earlier...**_

Sharon watched as the basestar turned to focus on the smaller strange ship.

"Starbuck; what do we do now?" she asked in a tense voice.

"We get down to the surface pronto; for some reason the skinjobs are ignoring us and concentrating on that ship.

Listen up people; we play this fast and hard. Raptor one and 3 core vipers are going to the surface. The 2nd group will be led by Ensign Anders; do not land close to us. The last thing we need is to present one target to these tincans! Move out!"

Starbuck launched her fighter towards the planet's surface as Sharon's raptor and two other vipers followed the fighter pilot towards the planet's surface.

"Lieutenant!"

Sharon turned to face Racetrack; who was acting as her ECO for this journey.

"We've got company ! The cylons are sending ships as well."

The monitor was showing 6 heavy raiders leaving the basestar.

"How long until the eclipse ?"

"24 minutes and 47 seconds," replied Racetrack.

We need to get there first thought Sharon."Everyone; hang on !"

Racetrack swallowed nervously; the raptor shook noticeably as it gathered speed and the surface of the planet got closer.

XL

Cally heard Sharon's warning and felt her insides turn cold; she prayed to the Gods that they were not about to crash. She could see remember the surprise on Galen's face when she hastily informed him she was going on a mission to collect edible algae; she had hugged him so tight as she struggled not to cry.

The specialist looked at the seven marines around her and saw only hard grim expressions.

These soldiers looked ready to die.

She on the other hand was not.

The raptor began to shake violently for what seemed like an eternity ; then she felt her ears begin to pop. They had reached the atmosphere of the planet; but they continued to drop like a free falling stone.

Cally closed her eyes and could just picture the raptor crashing into the ground before it went up in flames killing everyone inside.

Thus she was stunned when they managed to land safely; she had no time to rejoice when she heard Sharon's next words.

"Lieutenant Starbuck has ordered that we move rapidly towards the temple; the eclipse is in exactly 8 minutes and 40 seconds!"

Starbuck was already out of her viper; beside her stood Hotdog and Lieutenant Hamish 'Skulls' McCall.

"Specialist Tyrol, Lieutenants Hotdog, Athena and Racetrack are coming with me; as well as 4 marines."

One of the hard faced soldiers stared at her. "Don't you need us all sir?"

Starbuck was already shaking her head. " The bigger our group; the harder this will be; 3 of you will stay with Skulls; keep your radios on. If I can get a signal through I will send a message; in the meantime maintain radio silence until you hear from me. People; let's move!"

She turned and took off in a run; not looking back as the people she selected tried to keep up with her.

XLI

Kara could hear her heart pound as she ran towards the direction of the temple; she had marked its location when she flew over; she had a feeling they were already too late. She glanced quickly beside her to see Sharon keeping pace.

She did not look behind her; she just hoped she got them all back home safe; especially Cally. Galen would kill her if anything happened to his wife.

After what seemed like an eternity; they reached the outer ring of the ruins; Kara looked at her wristwatch. They had exactly 3 minutes and 50 seconds before the eclipse began. She tried to look everywhere for cylons as the others searched for the opening.

"There!" yelled a marine. Kara turned and saw a single entrance several feet away on her right; the marine who saw it first was much nearer.

The marine began to run towards it; as Kara noticed a glint of yellow metal from the corner of her eyes.

"Wait!" shouted Sharon in alarm; but the marine kept running as a several shots rang out. The first one hit the marine in the lower back; before his head was blown apart.

The surviving members of Kara's team hit the dirt.

Starbuck cursed into the sand as she quickly crawled to safety; she ended up beside Sharon and Cally.

The cylon looked at her with frightened eyes. "They are on the other side of the ruins."

Kara nodded; she stuck her head up slowly and cautiously to look over the crumbling wall and almost got her skull blown off for her curiosity.

"Frak! There's no way we can get close enough!"

"That's not the only problem."

Kara looked at Sharon. " What do you mean?"

"They will try to flank us; using these ruins as cover; if we stay here ...we're dead."

Cally's face went deathly pale.

Kara stared at Sharon. "There has to be another way into the temple; we need to find it soon."

"Sharon Agathon!"

The two viper pilots looked at each other in horror.

"I know that voice...its Cavil."

"Helloooo Sharon! I know you're there! I would recognise your head anywhere. How have you been lately ?" taunted the Number One.

There was silence.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer ?" Cavil sounded angry.

Sharon swallowed nervously. "What do you want ?"

Cavil laughed. " Where do I start ? Anyway your sick little halfbreed Hera is driving me insane ; so I guess my first request is if I get to kill her !"

Kara watched the blood drain from Sharon's face and knew in an instance what the cylon wanted to do.

She lunged for her and held the cylon down. " No ! Don't; he's lying to you. He wants you to lose your temper; stand-up and get shot so that when you download to his ship; he gets to torture you for a long time. That will kill Helo."

Sharon stared at her for a long time; then nodded. Kara waited then let her hold on the cylon relax.

Cally silently watched them both.

XLII

Caprica Six grabbed Cavil's hand and turned him towards her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get your dear sister back into the fold," he pushed her away.

"Try another one retard!" yelled a familiar voice.

Cavil's eyes narrowed. " Is that Lieutenant Crazy aka Starbuck ? Tell me; how's your marriage been since New Caprica. I bet Anders really appreciates the time you spent with Leoben."

On the other side; Kara shook her head in disbelief. Cavil was acting like a child.

Then Kara saw Cally look up at the skies; it was getting dark; the eclipse had started; they had run out of time.

"Wait; no comeback from the fantastic Starbuck? that's unbelief..."

"What do you know about Hera?" interrupted Sharon with a yell.

Cally stared at her. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

Cavil was silent for a while; he looked at D'anna, Boomer and Caprica Six.

"She's alive and with us," he answered calmly.

Kara and Cally watched as rage appeared on Sharon's face. " You're lying!"

The Number One smiled to himself. "You need to ask Roslin what she did with Hera and how come she ended up been adopted by another woman on New Caprica. By the by; she's quite unwell and her screams are _really _getting on my nerves."

_He's lying; he had got to be lying ! _Thought Sharon.

Caprica Six watched as Cavil leaned towards Boomer and whispered a few words into her ear. The Eight looked at him then turned towards the wall they were hiding behind.

"Sharon; I know you can hear me. Cavil is telling the truth; Roslin lied to you and everyone; she took Hera from you. We found her as the Colonials escaped from New Caprica; the woman who was taking care of her was already dead. Don't you want to hold your daughter ?"

Kara cursed as Cally watched Sharon's shoulders shake in grief.

Cally thought of her own son Nicholas; he was only 3 months old and she would die before anything happened to him. For one brief moment Cally saw a fellow mother who was still grieving for her dead child.

Damn the cylons to hades; what kind of sick game were they playing ?

"Oh Starbuck; it seems to be getting quite dark," taunted Cavil

Kara was about to answer when Sharon stood up quickly with a roar and started shooting.

" NO!" yelled Cally; she and Kara grabbed Sharon's legs and yanked her down quickly as the centurions returned fire. The three women huddled together as the wall they hid behind was peppered with shots.

The shooting lasted for three more minutes then stopped as abruptly as it started. Kara raised her head cautiously and looked into two other frightened female faces.

"You guys okay?" Cally and Sharon nodded.

Kara focused her gaze on the cylon. " What the frak was that? You almost got yourself and us killed!"

Sharon's face hardened. "It was worth it; I got to shoot the bastard."

It was Kara's turn to be stunned. " You killed Cavil ? "

"Has he said a word since I stood up ?"

XLIII

**Aboard the Basestar in orbit...**

In one of the resurrection quarters a Number one got up shakily from a vat of fluid. He took several painful breathes as he mentally cursed a certain Number Eight to the deepest regions of Hades.

XLIV

Boomer looked at the half blown off head of Cavil beside her; the arrogant fool had decided to stand up ; confident that the Colonials would not dare raise their heads above the old walls they used as shelter.

"Congratulations Sharon; you killed Cavil; but this changes nothing."

Sharon cursed. " Damn ! I thought I got her as well."

Kara grinned at her while Cally had a small smile on her face.

"However; his death changes nothing," continued Boomer "Hera your daughter is still with us; it's high time you realized that. Also you know by now that the centurions are almost upon you.

Surrender and you will get to meet your daughter."

Sharon looked at Kara and Cally. " We have got to leave this place."

Then the ground began to shake.

XLIV

**Delta Flyer Alpha.**

The ride down to the planet surface was fast but not without questions.

"Q ;give me a summary of what we're about to face " ordered Laura.

He looked at her; she looked ticked off.

"The cylons were the mechanical servants or slaves of the citizens of the 12 colonies of Kobol they were robots. 54 years ago; there was the 1st Cylon war; it lasted 12 years and cost both sides heavily; then there was a truce. "

" The 2nd Cylon war started 2 years ago when the cylons nuked the colonies; 20 billion lives were lost; all that remains of the colonies is less than 50,000 humans."

He paused. " Those survivors are searching for Earth and so are their enemies; the Cylons," he looked at her " by the by; the cylons are the ones who just tried to hack our ship's computers."

Laura looked at him and for a brief moment he could see hurt in her eyes; quickly replaced by a cold look.

"Laura; I was planning to tell..."

"What do the cylons look like ?" She cut him off not wanting to hear his excuses.

Q Junior wisely complied and pressed a few screen symbols and a one foot hologram of a human form cylon and a centurion appeared.

"They have human forms and the huge mechanoid forms are 7 feet tall and called centurions. The bigger ones are faster and deadly. Their mothership; is a basestar and is packed with tens of thousands of the centurions and hundreds of the cylon models."

Laura looked at the holographic projections for several moments.

" What weapons are effective on them?"

Q Junior looked at her and could tell she was not going to take no for an answer. "Plasma phasers and blasters would do enough damage."

"What of my claws ?"

"They would be sufficient but these centurions are very fast and dangerous..."

"We need to hurry; the eclipse has already begun," interrupted Laura as she looked at her sensors.

Q Junior wisely kept silent and hoped Laura would not let her anger cloud her judgement.

XLV

**On the surface of the planet...**

Anders cursed as he tried to flatten himself on the ground behind a low rock.

He had done as Kara ordered and landed his group of vipers and 2 raptors 10 klicks away; with his high range military binoculars he could see Sharon's raptor. However once they disembarked they had been shot at by centurions.

He had 5 men dead and 4 injured and at the moment he was cut off from the rest of the team.

It was turning into a cluster-frak of a mission. He just prayed Kara was having better luck then he did.

Then when he thought it couldn't get any worse; the eclipse began.

"We are so dead," said Anders to himself as several shots went off too close to his position.

Then the ground began to shake

XLVI

**Hera's temple.**

Logan and Jean ran out of the room as the ground began to buck and heave violently. Dust fell from the roof as the foundation shook.

Jean fell against the edge of the doorway and looked up to see large cracks on the ceiling appearing rapidly at an alarming rate. It was going to fall in and bury them alive.

_Not on my watch, said the Phoenix._

"Jean ! We have to move !" yelled Logan as he grabbed her hand and helped her up; unaware of the darkening of the telepath's eyes. However she allowed him to help her up and the two tried to run down the rapidly shaking corridor.

Logan glanced back briefly and saw the roof was slowing falling in.

"**Captain,"** he looked at Jean and saw the Phoenix "**you have to carry me...Mother nature is determined to destroy this place."**

Wolverine didn't hesitate; he lifted her in his arms and made a beeline for the exit which seemed too far away.

Jean leaned into him as she concentrated intensely on keeping the roof and floor beneath them intact; however for each step they made towards the exit and safety; the way behind them was been steadily destroyed.

The room where they had watched the holograms was the first to collapse as huge fissures opened up beneath the podium.

Outside the temple; Cally, Kara and Sharon stared at the ground in horror as it began to shake; then fissures began to form beneath their feet.

"Run !" yelled Kara over the horrendous groaning noise from beneath them; she and the two women got up with help from Hotdog and another male marine.

The viper pilot felt exposed as she tried to run; but fortunately the cylons were more concerned about not falling into the fissures that were opening beneath their feet.

Kara, and the people with her tried to move closer to Racetrack and the two marines that were with her.

Then the ground shook even more violently ; even in the darkness Kara could see the sudden wide fissure that appeared between her group and Racetrack's smaller group.

"Stop!" she yelled as she almost slid into the gaping hole; she felt someone grab her flight jacket and yank her backwards. She looked briefly to thank Sharon for her prompt action.

Then shots rang out over her head.

Kara cursed; it was the cylons. " Take cover!"

She crouched down low and turned to look at a frightened Racetrack and the remaining two marines on the other side.

"Get to the Raptor and come back for an evac if you can !" yelled Kara.

The ECO looked at her then nodded; she and the two marines took off at a run for the Raptor as the ground continued to tremble beneath them.

"Starbuck, let's go," shouted Hotdog " we may be able to get to the temple!"

Kara followed him and the others as they ran among the falling ruins and over the shaking ground.

A gold centurion who had fired the earlier shots saw what direction they were moving and raised it's firearm.

"No," commanded Caprica Six " the temple is our priority...not their deaths."

The centurion looked at her. The number One was the ultimate leader; but with his absence it had to obey the others.

"_**Understood."**_

He and the other 20 centurions began to move towards the temple entrance; with Boomer, Caprica Six and D'anna not far behind.

Kara suddenly noticed the darkness was lifting; a swift glance up revealed that the eclipse was ending. She bit her lower lip and she tried to run faster towards the entrance.

Out of the corner of her eyes she could see glints of yellow and grey metal. The cylons and their guard dogs seemed to have the same destination. She gripped her firearm tighter as she readied herself to fire.

Then the earth moved violently beneath her and threw her sideways. Darkness threatened to overwhelm, her as she dimly heard someone yell her name and felt strong arms lift her up.

"Kara! Keep moving !"

Sharon and Cally were on either side supporting her.

The viper pilot shook her heard in order to clear her sudden blurred vision; she looked up to see Hotdog and the other marine had run back to them.

She opened her mouth to order them back to the temple; when a man carrying a woman emerged from the entrance.

The cylons arrived just in time to see the new arrivals as the entrance to the temple was destroyed .

Then as abruptly as the earthquake had started; it ended.

XLVII

Jean felt Logan's arms tighten around her as they both realized they were no longer alone.

_Where the hell did they spring from ? asked the Phoenix in an amused voice._

_Oh! And by the by it looks like we missed the eclipse._

Jean did not answer; something told her; missing the eclipse was the least of their worries.

"Logan; put me down; you're going to need your hands very soon," whispered the telepath.

Wolverine nodded minutely and slowly let her down as he took in their immediate surroundings. Jean turned as well until she was back to back to Logan.

On his right stood 3 humans; well dressed young women; one looked asian maybe Japanese; the other two were Caucasians. They also had more than 10 mechanoid looking tall robots who looked like they would fit in a 'Terminator'movie.

While on Jean's left stood 5 humans; 2 men and 3 women; the two men were Mediterranean looking while two of the women were Caucasians and the third one looked japanese. They looked tired and shabbily dressed in comparism to the other group.

He noticed instantly that the Asian woman with the 'robots' was an exact twin of a female of the second group.

However; Logan had an odd feeling that these two groups were not working together.

Maybe it had to do with the way their guns were pointed towards each other; but there was one additional problem.

He and Jean were smack down in the middle of what appeared to be a standoff.

Logan raised his hands slowly as he racked his brains for words to defuse the situation. "Eh...we come in peace...we were just passing through."

Jean gave him an odd look.

"Who the frak are you ?" asked the dirty blonde with the huge rifle that swung to cover him.

"You're the Thirteenth Tribe ?" asked the Asian woman with the robots at the same time.

Logan and Jean shared a brief look; unsure who to answer first.

"Excuse me ?" asked Logan; somehow he knew this question was very important.

"Are you from Earth ?" asked the blonde beside the Asian woman impatiently.

Logan stared at her while Jean answered.

"Yes; we are. You know of Earth ?"

Wolverine noticed several things at once; the way the dirty blonde's hands tightened around her weapon; the looks of fear and hope on the faces of her group and the looks of joy and fierce determination on the faces of the three women with the robots.

He had no idea which to fear more.

"Ladies and gentlemen; maybe we can discuss this rationally..." started Logan.

"You're coming with us," demanded the Asian lady with Terminators.

"No!" shouted her twin " if you go with them; you will die; you cannot lead them to Earth!"

The auburn haired woman with the robots looked at her. "Sharon; you're not in the position to negotiate; at the moment you are surrounded."

Logan heard clanking noise and saw more robots appear behind the group of five humans. He saw the sharp curved claws of the robots and how obviously terrified the five humans were.

They knew they were as good as dead.

He looked at the apparent leader of these 'terminators.'

"What happens to them if we go with you ?"

She stared at him. "It is no concern of yours; the Colonials are our enemies; whatever befalls them is justly deserved."

'_In summary; they get to die.' _Logan glanced at Jean.

'_Not on our watch,'_ thought Jean.

'_This is going to be fun,'_ whispered the Phoenix.

XLVIII

Q Junior ran to catch up with Laura; they had landed the shielded Delta Flyer Alpha a few minutes ago close to where the 2nd group of colonials had landed.

Due to the combined interference from the EMF waves from the sun and the Cylons' jamming frequencies. There was no way of communicating with Logan and Jean.

Laura had demanded they land close to the 2nd group of colonials when they got close enough to see a fire-fight breaking out. Her argument had been that any battle taking place on the surface would be where Logan and Jean would most likely be.

Q on the other hand; had wanted to do a quick fly by to assess the situation before landing and hoping to catch a glimpse of the other Delta Flyer and the origin of the radio signal which was no longer transmitting.

His own argument had been that Logan and Jean would not be far from either the flyer or the ruins.

However his advice fell on deaf ears when Laura threatened to fight him in order to take control of the spacecraft.

Q gripped his phase pistol tighter as he caught up with her.

"Laura! Wait!"

She ignored him and kept running.

"Are you still mad at me?"

She gave him a scathing look and tried to outdistance him as they got closer to the ground battle taking place in-front of them.

Q Junior sighed and kept running as he tried to assess the present situation.

There were two raptors and 3 vipers which had landed but the crew were pinned down behind the ships and rocks as grey centurions fired at them. From this distance he could see that there had been casualties already.

He had also noticed the eclipse had begun; somehow he felt that was going to make the situation more complicated.

In front of Laura; 5 robots were slowly advancing and shooting at a rock and whoever was hiding behind it.

They had not noticed the two figures racing towards them.

She didn't bother to give a warning.

_Snikt!_

Two centurions found themselves literally cut off from the knees as she dived low and slashed through the back of their legs. She rolled and extended the feet adamantium blades ; then stood quickly and used a roundhouse kick to simultaneously decapitate both robots.

She turned to face the other three robots; only to see large smoking holes in their chests as they fell to the ground. Q was standing over them.

It looked like the hologram had been busy.

For some reason; despite how he had lied to her and the others; some part of her was pleased that he knew how to defend himself.

Before she could pounder on the thought; the ground began to shake.

Anders had noticed the shots had stopped just before the earth began to move; he risked a quick look to see two teenagers standing over what appeared to be the remains of centurions.

"What the f...?" his question was interrupted when more shots flew over his head. More centurions had arrived and were bearing down on his position.

He crouched and tried to aim. " You two! Take cover !"

The two teenagers ran towards his position and Anders felt his jaw drop when the girl vaulted over the large rock to land beside him; the boy just ran around and plopped down on the other side of him.

"Hi," said the male teenager.

Anders stared at him. "Who are you ?"

The girl ignored him and risked a quick look over the rock; 15 centurions were rapidly approaching their position. At that moment; the earth moved violently and she saw fissures appear in the earth which seemed to swallow 4 of the centurions.

"We're got 4 terminated and 11 still approaching."

Anders turned to stare at her.

"Hi; I'm Q Junior and that's Laura with the claws," said the boy quickly.

That was when the Colonial pilot noticed the gleaming claws protruding from the back of her hands.

"Oh my Gods! _What_ the frak are you !" asked Anders in disbelief.

Laura looked at him with a hard glint in her eyes. "Right now; we're not your enemy; we're just looking for our two crew members. A man with claws like these and a woman. Have you seen them ?"

Anders was unable to answer; his mind was screaming at him that these two were cylons when Q shouted beside him.

"Incoming!" the boy pulled out what looked like a toy gun and aimed at a rapidly approaching centurion. An energy bolt emerged from the small weapon and blew the huge cylon's head apart.

Anders tried to keep his wits about him as the boy shot down several more centurions despite the ground shaking violently; apparently that did not affect his aim.

"So, have you seen them or not ?" asked the girl calmly.

The colonial pilot risked a quick look at her claws. "No...I haven't...where in Hades are you from ?"

She looked at him for what seemed like an eternity.

"We're from Earth."

XLIX

Kara saw the two members of the thirteenth tribe exchange a glance when Boomer practically condemned the Colonials to their deaths.

The Number Eight moved to grab the man's right forearm.

"You will come with us..."

Kara was about to shoot her when the woman beside the man moved her right hand towards Boomer.

The female cylon went flying backwards along with the other two humanoid cylons and their centurion guards.

Before Kara's mind could process what was going on; the strange woman turned towards her and made the same the motion. Kara heard Cally yell in pain as shots went off.

The viper pilot turned to see the centurions who had surrounded them had also been flung backwards. Sharon was trying to stop the bleeding around Cally's right thigh.

"Damn! One of them shot before I could stop it," shouted the strange woman as she moved to help the cylon.

Kara swung her weapon to try and cover the woman ; then noticed she could not move.

"Do you want to live or die ?" asked the man quickly before she could demand what was going on. Kara looked and could see the others apart from Sharon and Cally were frozen as well.

Something told her she had to answer quickly.

"Live."

"Great; then get your people to come with us while those terminators are down. Jean; we're moving out."

The woman nodded after helping Sharon tie a makeshift tourniquet around the specialist's right calf.

Kara suddenly realized she could move. She glanced around quickly and could see the cylons were barely conscious and the centurions were slowly trying to get back up.

"Come on people!"

The other s silently followed her and the two members of the thirteenth tribe.

Kara did not know what weapon they had used but she certainly wanted it.

XLX

D'Anna watched groggily as the colonials left the area quickly with the two members of the thirteenth tribe. She did not know what had been used on them; but Cavil had to be informed on what was going on.

As if the Number One could read her thoughts; her communicator went on.

"_D'anna; what is your progress ?"_

She struggled to organise her thoughts as she tried to give a coherent answer. "We've...made contact...with the thirteenth tribe...they...left with...the colonials."

Aboard the basestar; Cavil's face turned to stone; he had turned off the jamming frequencies in order to find out what had occurred since his termination.

This was not the news he wanted to hear; to make matters more infuriating; the raiders had still not caught up with the_ Xavier_. He had a funny feeling that the ship belonged to the Thirteenth Tribe.

Cavil was running out of patience.

"_Cavil...we need help...we..."_

"D'anna my dear," cut in Number One " you need to evacuate the planet now because I will be initiating orbital bombardment in 4 minutes."

She looked at the Number Eight and Six in horror.

Fear gave them new found strength as they struggled to stand up and head for their ship.

XLXI

Jean and one of the women called Sharon supported the wounded woman called Cally. They all ran as quick as they could because Sharon had warned them that the centurions were on the move.

The telepath had hastily introduced herself and the captain as they ran towards the hidden Delta Flyer Beta.

Meanwhile the leader Kara was asking Logan a lot of questions.

"You're really the Thirteenth Tribe? You're from Earth ?"

Logan glanced at her briefly; thanks to Jean he had not needed to show his claws but the suspicious glint in Kara's eyes was getting on his nerves.

"Lady; I have no idea what tribe you're talking about; but Earth is our home and we were just trying to get back there when we decided to land on this Godforsaken planet."

He did not notice how Kara looked sharply at him when he said 'God'.

She stopped running. "What do you believe in? What do you mean by God ?"

Logan turned and stared at her in disbelief. "This is no time for a theological discussion; because in case you have forgotten; we have killer bots on our tails so you either move or die soldier!"

Something in his eyes almost had her snapping to attention; this man had seen combat and lots of it. She was about to ask one more question when the woman called Sharon shouted.

"Kara; we're got to move quickly! The centurions have stopped chasing us; in fact they are running away."

Logan saw the colonial go pale.

"What is it?"

She looked at him. " We better find your ship fast and lift off!"

"Why ?" asked Logan suspiciously.

"Orbital bombarbment with nuclear weapons."

He looked at Jean who was staring at Kara in barely concealed horror.

"_Oh my God; she's telling the truth."_

"Let's move people," yelled Logan as they broke into a run.

He reached the concealed untouched ship before them and started pressing in the code to get it open. He ignored the stunned looks on their faces as Jean guided them in and had the colonials strap in securely.

Kara touched her communicator; praying and hoping she got through to anyone out there who may be listening.

"Racetrack; Skulls; Longshot; anyone; this is Starbuck; I have the members of the Thirteen Tribe. We are evacuating in their ship. I repeat; evacuate everyone. The cylons are initiating orbital bombarbment soon."

Logan closed the door and sat down in the captain's chair; Jean took the co-pilot chair as he powered up the engines; the shield generator and began to initiate lift off.

Kara gripped her seat firmly as the strange craft began to move; she was praying her message got out.

XLXII

Racetrack heard the radio come on as she flew the raptor closer to where she had left Kara and the others.

"_...this is Starbuck; I have the members of the Thirteen Tribe...we are evacuat...in...ship. I repeat evacuate...cylons...initiating orbital bombarbment soon..."_

Skulls saw her go deathly pale.

"We have to leave!"

"What of the others?"

She looked at him; anxiety and fear written on her face. " Starbuck just ordered us to evac; she also said something about a ship...maybe they are on it."

Skulls stared at her. " She mentioned the thirteenth tribe ! Something is going on down there..."

"And we won't be able to report it if we're all dead !" yelled Racetrack " we need to..." her voice trailed off when she noticed 3 raiders were heading towards her at deadly speed.

"Frak! We're out of time!" she tried to turn the ship as the raiders flew closer and closer; then as they passed; several shots were fired.

What Skulls and Racetrack noticed was that they did not explode; what they failed to realized was that 4 mini-tracking devices had been imbedded in the hull of their raptor.

As the two colonials pilots and their passengers thanked the Gods of Kobol for been so merciful; the specially adapted raiders relayed a message to their commander; a certain Number one.

"**Phase one completed; on route to the remaining targets."**

Cavil nodded and looked at the hybrid. " Initiate bombarbment."

XLXIII

Anders and the two teenagers suddenly saw the centurions turn round and run away quickly. The three stood up slowly. Fortunately the earthquake had stopped a few minutes ago.

"That is odd," said the Colonial pilot; then he turned to the two strangers.

For several moments he was unsure how to address two members of the fabled thirteenth tribe that their fleet had been searching for.

"I...I'm Ensign Samuel T Anders, callsign Longshot; thanks for your help..."

"We'll be leaving you now," said Laura as she sheathed her claws; she turned to go when the colonial's radio went on.

"_...this is Starbuck; I have the members of the Thirteen Tribe...we are evacuat...in...ship. I repeat evacuate...cylons...initiating orbital bombarbment soon..."_

Laura and Q Junior saw him go as white as a sheet; then he looked up quickly and from a distance he could see a raptor in the sky.

"What does that mean ?"

He turned to see Laura looking at him.

"Kid; we need to get off this planet; because nuclear weapons are about to rain down on it from the basestar in orbit!"

The two teenagers shared a worried look.

"You're worried about your crew ? From what I heard; Starbuck; one of our pilots has already found them and they are probably on that raptor in the sky."

Q shielded his eyes and used his extremely good eyesight to look further . " You mean the raptor currently been chased by 3 ships ?"

Longshot stared at him before hastily using his binoculars and seeing the raiders chasing a raptor; then after several missed shots the raiders turned.

"Oh shit! You need to come with me now !"

"Why ?" demanded Laura.

"Because _those_ ships are not friendly and they are headed in our direction as we speak!"

The two teens looked up and at this distance could see the raiders getting larger as they got closer.

"Laura; we need to head back to our flyer and..."

Q Junior soon realized that she was no longer with him and was running after Anders.

The Q cursed and ran after her.

Fortunately; there were 2 raptors a short distance away and the personnel were hastily loading the wounded and dead aboard. Weapons came up when Anders appeared with the two teenagers.

"Hold your fire; they are friends! People load up and get the frak out of here; we've got raiders inbound!"

Anders quickly showed the two teens how to strap in and was initiating lift off when the raiders reached them; however the raptors and vipers were able to get off the ground as the enemy fired at them repeatedly.

Many of the shots went wide but a good number hit the raptors and small tracking devices embedded themselves into the hulls of both ships before the raiders flew away.

Anders did not have time to pounder on the 'poor aim' of the raiders; because at that moment; the nuclear bombarbment started.

**Hi everyone; hope you like this part; it took me forever as I was trying to combine what was happening in 4 or 5 places at the same time!**

**Here's hoping the other chapters will be easier to write. Please read and review!**

**Have a great week people.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine**

XLIX

_**The Basestar; CIC...**_

Cavil watched calmly as the first nuclear bombs were released; he was still standing in the same spot when 3 visibly upset female cylons walked into the CIC.

"Cavil; you son of a bitch; what the frak are you playing at ? Do you have any idea who is down there ?" D'anna's voice had grown in volume as she walked up to the Number One; by the time she got to the last word she was practically yelling.

The male cylon looked calmly at her. "Your pilot must have been very good to get you here so fast."

"That's because I 'jumped' the raider from the planet's atmosphere to co-ordinates just outside the basestar you idiot," said Caprica coldly " you could have killed us!"

"That is not the only issue here," said D'anna in a normal but steely tone " two members of the thirteenth tribe are down there and you've ordered an orbital bombarbment on them! Are you trying to start a war with them as well ?"

Cavil sighed. "In case you haven't noticed; we are at war with the humans; what's one more tribe to add to the tally ?"

Boomer stared at him in shock.

"When we started the search for Earth; our aim was to find it and settle there with our ancestors; not destroy it!"

The Number One glared at her. " And these so called 'ancestors' that you have laid eyes on are human; are they not ?"

The three women shared an uneasy look.

"They look human...but something is...different about them," said Caprica Six.

Cavil stared at her for a few moments. "Ah well; if they are as advanced and as different as you make them out to be; then this bombarbment should be a sufficient test don't you think ?"

D'anna felt her blood boil at his smug tone. "Please enligthen me."

He brushed off the acid tone. "You told me that some members of the thirteenth tribe left with the colonials. I have stopped the jamming of communications and pulled back all the centurions.

Now any one with half a brain or even a certain cylon turncoat will realize this means an orbital nuclear bombarbment will commence soon; they will rush to their ships," Cavil walked to a nearby monitor and began to press some symbols "my specially adapted raiders will attack; miss on purpose and also fire off the TROY devices we recently completed."

The 3 female cylons drew nearer to the monitor to see 3 red dots which appeared to be leaving the surface of the planet as the bombarbment continued.

"One of those ships has the members of the thirteenth tribe...where they go we can follow and thus complete two objectives in one move," concluded Cavil.

D'anna found herself nodding in reluctant approval. "That's pretty smart."

Caprica was not so impressed. "What objectives are we talking about ?"

"Find the way to Earth and destroy the remaining colonials; what else would I be talking about ?" said Cavil with a sneer.

L

Ander's could feel his heart hammering against his chest as the raptors lifted off too slowly from the planet's surface. His monitors were informing him that the bombs were dropping closer to his position.

May the Gods of Kobol damn those cylons to Hades! This was like Caprica and New Caprica all over again !

He just hoped and prayed that Kara and the others were okay.

Anders reached for his ship to ship radio."Alright boys and girls ! Once we hit the atmosphere we jump to original co-ordinates when we entered the system and then we jump from there till we get to the fleet."

"A jump in the atmosphere ? Are you frakking insane ?" shouted Ensign Billy 'Buck' Rogers ; one of the surviving viper pilots who was acting as his ECO.

Ander's last ECO had been one of the first to die when the centurions jumped them; while Bill's viper had been blown up in the surprise attack.

"Yes I am Bill; because going the 'usual' slow route will have us too close to the planet's surface; then when the nukes reach us; we'll all be dead !"

There was silence for a few seconds.

"It sounds like a good idea," said Billy in a subdued voice.

"Glad you approve," snapped Anders before he switched to the incom system.

"Everyone; buckle up because it's about to get turbulent !"

In the passenger area; Laura and Q looked at each other before unseen G-forces pushed them to the back of their seats as Anders executed a 'jump'.

The other raptor and few remaining vipers were not far behind.

LI

Kara looked around; the small craft was new; very different and very clean; she also realised something else. It seemed like they were hardly moving until she saw the viewscreen.

Somehow ; they had reached the outer stratosphere for she could already see the stars.

"How fast are we going ?" she whispered.

"Fast enough to outrun nukes," answered Logan without turning round.

Kara stared at his back. How the frak had he heard her ?

"We have people down there; we need to warn them..." started Sharon.

Jean turned to her. "I think Kara's message got through; because a number of ships are lifting off at the same time as us."

"How do you know that?" asked Hotshot.

The doctor looked at him. "The ship's monitors are pretty sensitive despite the EMP from the sun and the interference from the planet's atmosphere..."

A low moan of pain escaped from Cally's lip. Jean turned to her.

She quickly unstrapped herself and was beside her before anyone could say a word.

"Is she okay?" asked Kara; Cally looked very pale and had beads of sweat on her forehad. Jean checked the tourniquet; it was soaked with blood.

"This doesn't look good; we need to get her to our sick-bay soon. Logan pass me a ship communicator."

The colonials watched as the man opened a small cabinet and removed a small device that he flung over his left shoulder. Jean reached up in the air and caught the object before snapping it open; it looked like a handheld flip mobile phone.

Jean pressed on the device and spoke. "Xavier; do you read ? Laura...Q junior please come in."

There was silence as she waited. " Logan; could you try..."

"_Dr Grey; do you require assistance ?"_

LII

**The Xavier...**

The ship Q Junior built had led the heavy and light raiders on a chase.

It had let them get close enough to almost touching distance then dropped behind them suddenly before rapidly speeding off in the opposite direction.

In summary it had played 'tag' with them and that had infuriated the machines.

After getting tired of failing to catch it; the cylon ships started firing whenever they got close enough.

This also failed to work as the shields Q Junior had installed on the ship were second to none and thus the barrage from the raiders barely drained the shield generator's energy.

What Xavier did not do; was retaliate.

Not because it was not smart enough; but because there was really no need to.

However on another chase within the orbit of the planet; it had picked up Dr Grey's hail and the Xavier decided it was time to power up its weapons.

Just in case it had to protect its crew of cause.

"_Dr Grey; do you require assistance ?"_

LIII

Sharon had been watching Jean and Logan when the new voice answered her transmission. When they first met two members of the thirteenth tribe; she was sure they were a couple. They worked as a team and looked good together.

However something about the new voice had her concerned; it sounded too...calm.

"Xavier! Thank God; we need you to teleport us to the ship now; we need the medical bay."

Sharon saw the other colonials; even the barely conscious Cally give the woman a very suspicious look.

There were very few Monothetists in the fleet and even they kept secret what religion they followed. But the time on New Caprica had showed that the Cylons also believed in a Single Diety and hearing this stranger mention 'thank God' was enough cause for worry.

Even if she and her captain had just saved their lives.

"_The interference from the sun will still disrupt the transporters but I can come and get you if speed is what you require."_

Logan nodded. "Then come get us Xavier."

High above the planet; the basestar monitors picked up the approach of the strange ship as it sped away from half a dozen raiders; it seemed to descend rapidly to the surface of the planet that was been bombarded.

"What are they up to ?" asked Cavil with a puzzled frown on his face.

The Xavier dived head first into the atmosphere at top speed; it quickly identified the small shuttle racing towards it and without slowing down; it rapidly turned the ship so that by the time the shuttle reached ; it was facing the hanger doors of shuttle bay three.

Logan saw the doors approaching and quickly reduced his speed as the bigger ship used the tractor beam to pull the smaller ship in.

Kara felt her jaw drop as she saw how quickly the bigger ship moved; whoever was flying it was someone she wanted to meet.

The hanger doors shut close after the shuttle was safely within the bay.

"Xavier! Get us out of this system now!" ordered Logan.

"_Yes Captain,"_said the ship before it turned and went to warp; to the stunned cylons watching; it had disappeared in a flash of light.

The colonials in their raptors and vipers were too busy jumping out of the system and thus missed _the_ whole show

The whole operation had lasted 3 minutes and 55 seconds.

And the Xavier had not fired a single shot; because there was no need to.

In the CIC of the basestar; Caprica Six turned to Cavil.

"Congratulations Cavil; on starting a war with a tribe who _appears_ to be stronger and more advanced than we are," she left him and the others as the planet beneath them was been systematically destroyed.

LIV

**The Xavier; Shuttle Bay 3; Deck 3...**

Kara watched Jean turn to Logan.

"Great flying captain."

He smiled tiredly. " Thanks; let's get Cally to the medical bay and find out what the kids were up to when we were gone."

Kara shared a look with Hotdog. There were children aboard this ship ?

The captain was the first person out of the ship; Sharon and Hotdog helped Cally out next. Kara looked around her as she stepped out; taking note of cleanliness of the bay and the shiny boxed cargo.

Where was the rest of the crew ?

She saw the way the captain was looking around the bay and felt he was asking the same question as well.

The man looked at the ceiling. "Xavier; where's Junior and Laura ? Where's the other shuttle ?"

A smooth electronic voice answered._ "Are they not with you ? They left to look for you and Dr Grey."_

Kara felt herself go cold. They had an AI!

She looked at Hotdog and Sergent Charles 'Nails' Brenan; the same thought was mirrored in their eyes.

Cylons.

"What did you say ?" asked Logan in a shocked voice. Jean had left Cally with Sharon and came to stand beside him. She looked distracted.

"They...Logan we have to go back! I can't sense them."

Those final words did it for Kara; these two were frakking cylons and they almost had her fooled. She; Hotdog and Nails brought up their guns to fire; they did not notice the shocked looks on Sharon and Cally's faces.

However before they could pull the triggers; Jean quickly looked at them with eyes as black as pure midnight.

"_**Sleep."**_

And that was the last image Kara and the others saw before they lost consciousness.

LV

Logan heard the bodies slump behind him and turned just in time to see Jean prevent Cally's unconsious form from hitting the floor.

"What happened ?" he asked carefully.

Jean looked at him with her normal eyes. "Kara; and her friends thought we were cylons; their enemy and were just about to fill us with bullets."

Logan glared at the unconsious leader of the 5 people before them.

"Did she now? What gave them that stupid idea ?"

Jean continued looking at the 5 people before her. "Apparently they have something against AIs; I can ask them what this is all about when they wake up but we have more important things to worry about. We need to go back for the children."

Logan nodded. "I agree because when I find those kids; I'm killing them myself !"

Jean sighed and looked at the ceiling. " Xavier; please transport myself and these five to sickbay."

"_Yes Dr Grey."_

Logan started walking to the bridge once the doctor and her unconscious patients disappeared. "Reverse our course back to that planet; and in sleath mode."

"_Yes Captain."_

"And Xavier; thanks for the rescue; that was pretty slick flying."

"_You're welcome sir."_

Logan was not sure but for a moment the computer sounded pleased.

LVI

Anders came out of the jump just in time to see Sharon's raptor disappear in a 'jump'. Apparently there were ahead of Ander's small group of ships.

"Damn; they are definitely in a hurry to get back to the fleet; the others must be with them," he muttered to himself as he quickly checked the DRADIS and saw the other raptor had made it as well as the 4 remaining vipers.

"Billy; how long until we can jump to the fleet ?"

"We need 20 minutes for the engines to get enough juice for the next jump; those last two stunts we pulled almost tore the engine apart!"

Anders grinned at the new ECO's glare. " But; it worked; didn't it ?"

The young viper pilot just stared at him. "Yeah; it worked; by the by what did you mean by 'the others must be with them' ?"

Anders smiled lazily. "Nothing much; just concerned about my wife you know."

Bill had an unconvinced expression on his face. "Does this have to do with the two kids we picked up on that planet ?" then his face went pale "are they the thirteenth...?"

Anders dropped the easy smile. "Don't say the word; I don't know who they are...but we really need to get them back to the fleet."

Bill was not listening to him. "But Lieutenant Thrace's transmission was about the thirteenth tribe...did we just let their homeworld get nuked by those..."

"ENSIGN BILLY BUCK ROGERS!" shouted Anders.

The young man finally shut up at the look of anger on the pilot's face.

"Look, " began Anders in a calmer tone "I don't know who Kara has got with her; those two in our ship...saved my butt and told me they were looking for their crew members. That world we went to...is not the home of the Thirteenth Tribe...it can't be because I'm pretty sure the Thirteenth have weapons capable of kicking the cylons' collective arses."

Bill stared at him. " How sure are you of this ?"

Anders could still see clearly how Q Junior easily dispatched the centurions with a small hand held weapon and Laura's gleaming claws which were thankfully absent at the moment.

"Oh, I'm very sure...I think."

Before the ECO could say a word the in-com radio came on.

"_Ensign Anders; this is Sergeant Tyler; the young boy is asking for permission to treat our wounded. How would you like us to proceed ?"_

Anders looked at the radio for several moments. "Allow him ...but watch him closely," Laura's claws came to mind again "and take care not to threaten him or the girl."

On the other end; Tyler looked at his handheld communicator oddly. Why would he threaten two kids ?

"Acknowledged Ensign."

He walked back to the two teens who everyone was watching closely.

"Alright kid; you've got permission."

Laura watched Q Junior roll his eyes at the word 'kid'. She wondered if he knew how dangerous the situation was. Once they had escaped from the planet's surface and stopped moving; the other passengers had turned their attention on the two teens.

She saw suspicion and worry in most of their faces; but what concerned her more was the faint glimmer of hope she saw in a few faces.

Laura had an idea from the little she had learnt from Q Junior of how important finding Earth was to them; but it was the stunned expression on Ensign's Anders face that had clinched it for her.

The way to Earth was these people's Holy Grail.

And that was a little worrying; because she was unsure of how they would react when they found out where she and Q were from.

Or what they _really _were.

She started unstrapping her seat belt as Q Junior stood up; he turned with a quizzical expression on his face.

"You're going to need some assistance Q," she said as she stood up as well " besides what equipment did you pack besides the phase thingy ?"

Q Junior raised an eyebrow at the way she described the phase pistol until he saw how openly attentive Sergent Tyler was to their conversation.

"One hypospray with 200 doses of analgesia ; one mini-subdermal replicator and one orthopaedic replicator and my tricorder which also doubles as a medical scanner. Why do you ask ?"

Laura nodded towards the silent listening sergeant.

"He'll want to know what the equipment does exactly and do mention in detail what the hypospray is for _before _you use it."

"Fine," said Q Junior through gritted teeth as he carefully explained to Tyler what his equipment was for.

The huge sergent looked at the teenager and was wondering what in Hades these two were doing on that cursed planet. He had heard the crew mutterings about 'The Thirteenth Tribe' but as far as he was concerned it was all a big myth.

Right now he was more concerned about his injured comrades in arms.

"If you're a medic; then get to work."

The boy swallowed a bit nervously. "Okay; who are your most injured ?"

Tyler went on to show the boy a young woman who had been shot in both legs. Laura followed closely; keeping both hands free and loose in-case she needed them.

"Sara was badly hit when the tincans hit us; if we don't get to the fleet soon she may die." The woman he pointed to had reddish brown hair; she appeared to be in a lot of pain; she had bandages over both calves and they were heavily soaked with blood.

Q Junior turned pale when he saw the state of her trousers; but he calmly knelt beside her and introduced himself.

"I'm a medic; I need to assess the damage; I can give you something for the pain..."the woman grabbed his right hand.

"No! Please don't take my legs! I'm begging you please don't take them off! Just get me to Doc! He'll fix them! I swear!"

When Sara grabbed his hand; Laura was an inch away from producing her claws but Q Junior had raised his left hand to stop her without turning.

Tyler noticed the silent communication and frowned.

"Sara," said Q Junior soothingly " I just need to look and maybe I can get you back to your Doctor in one piece; let me give you something for the pain."

The frightened woman looked frantically between him and Tyler. "Sarge! I don't want to sleep! I want to be awake; I don't want to wake and find my legs gone!" She broke down and started crying.

The Sergent looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "Corporal Sara; let him take a look and do what he can; please."

The shaking shattered woman nodded slowly.

Q slowly produced the hypospray from his side pocket of his trousers; he was acutely aware of the other passengers coming closer to observe.

"Just one dose will take the pain away and make you a bit sleepy."

There was a low hiss and Sara relaxed almost at once.

"We need to cut her trousers off from just above the knees," said Q softly.

He was stunned when a silent Tyler passed him a hunting knife; Laura took it from him almost immediately.

Everyone watched as Laura helped Q cut the cloth away to reveal the damage.

Already he could see bone sticking out of the middle of the right calf; he heard one of the marines curse; Q took out his tricorder and scanned from the feet to the knees. Corporal Sara had an open right compound comminuted fracture of the right tibia and fibula.

Translation:the two long bones just above the right ankle had been broken in several places and had also pierced the skin.

For the left leg; she had only a displaced fracture of both the tibia and fibula; however the skin was not broken. Q Junior was wishing he had the Xavier medical bay ; it would be so much quicker.

"Remarkably the blood and nerve supply is not too compromised; but we need to work quickly," said Q Junior.

Tyler looked at the teen; he had not frozen when faced with such a severe injury and he sounded like he knew what he was doing. "What do you need ?"

The male teen looked at him. " First; we need to straighten out her legs; the fractures need to be put in as normal as a position as possible; then I need to use the bone replicator."

"I'll set the right leg," said Laura soft as she moved into position.

Q Junior nodded. " I'll act as the ballast while you pull; we need to do it before she wakes up."

The passengers moved back as they watched the two teens at work; Tyler helped Q junior with Sara's left leg; then the teen went down on his knees and used a second device to pass several times over her legs from the knees down to the feet and back upwards again.

1 minute passed before anyone saw the effects of what he was doing; even Tyler felt his heart rate pick up.

Right before their eyes; they could see damaged tissue healing at a rate which was nigh miraculous. Laura kept one eye on the passengers and the other on Q's back.

The hologram or not-hologram was oblivious to what was going on around him.

8 minutes later he stopped. "That's the most I can do for now; I'm afraid I don't have bigger equipment. What she needs now is a good meal; a firm cast; crutches and non-weight bearing for the next 4 weeks until calculi form. If I get to perform one more treatment like that in the next week; she may recover even sooner."

Q stood up and the crew were looking at him as if he had grown 2 feet taller.

"Where's your next patient ?"

Anders was in the middle of an argument with Bill on whether to tell the passengers that the two children _may be_ of the thirteenth tribe when the in-com radio activated.

"_Ensign Anders...the kids have done all they can and have returned to their seats."_

The two pilots looked at each other and then at the radio; Tyler sounded ...stunned.

"What did they do?" asked Anders carefully. Laura's claws came to mind for the umpteenth time.

"_The boy; Q Junior; kind of an odd name...he practically healed all the injured with his devices; the other one...Laura just assisted him...Anders are they of the thirteenth tribe ?"_

The last words were said in a whisper; which seemed filled with hope.

Bill looked at Anders. " Our marines are not stupid Anders," he whispered.

Anders glared at him before reaching for the radio. "Sarge; I'm not sure...that's why I'm taking them to the Admiral; tell the rest of the crew to strap in. We're jumping for the fleet in 45 seconds."

LVII

_**The Xavier; Medical Bay; Deck 1...**_

Jean appeared in the medical bay as each of her unconscious patients were assigned to different beds.

"Xavier; please run a scan of all patients; relieve them of their weapons and keep the locked within a force field please."

"_Understood__**."**_

She quickened replaced her brown leather jacket with a white lab coat. As she folded up the jacket; she felt a bulge in the left pocket and pulled out the tricorder she had used in the ruins. She frowned at the portable device; she wondered what was so important about what she and Logan had seen.

And what the Colonials and 'Cylons' were prepared to do to get it.

"Xavier; upload the information on this tricorder and please translate it as well."

"_Where would you like it stored ?"_

"My personal files; if that's okay."

"_Translation will take 3 minutes 42 seconds and the weapons of our guests have been secured ; their bio-data is available on your personal PADD and a force-field had been erected around their bio-beds."_

Jean nodded her thanks as she picked up the slim touch-screen e-notepad.

As she suspected; Cally's injuries were the worst and if nothing was done soon she could die of blood loss; the others had mild scrapes and bruises that could heal with time. Jean looked at the unconscious specialist; she was currently on a bed beside the asian woman who was also asleep.

She could treat her while unconscious but her instincts told her that would be the wrong thing to do.

"_**Wake up."**_

Kara was in a dreamless sleep; the first she's had in months when she heard a female voice ordering her to awaken. For a few moments; she was unsure of where she was; then her memory returned and she sat up quickly.

She was on some sort of soft white bed; on her left was Nails who was also waking up; on the other side of the marine was Hotdog.

On Kara's right was Sharon and Cally; all of them were now awake and their attention was on the person standing less than 4 feet away from them.

Dr Jean Grey; gone was the brown leather jacket; in its place was a white lab coat . The doctor stared at them with her hands folded.

Kara reached for a gun that was not there. She cursed as she stood up and walked forward; her intent was on using her fists to get some answers from the cylon bitch.

Then she walked into an invisible wall.

"Where are we?"

Jean did not answer simply staring at her until the other 3 colonials who could stand were beside Starbuck.

"You're on board the Xavier; our ship. I need to treat Cally while she's awake."

"No frakking way ! I'm not letting you near me !" said the specialist.

Kara pointed a finger at the doctor. "Stay away from her; we don't need your help!"

Sharon stared at the pilot; anyone could see that Cally was seriosuly hurt.

Jean frowned at the colonials. "You would rather let her die then let me treat her ?"

Kara was about to respond but hesitated as she glanced hurridly at the specialist.

"Just let us go..."began Hotdog.

"Then what ? You die because you refused assistance? Look let's not waste any time," Jean turned to Cally "Specialist Tyrol; you've got two options.

One; I treat you while you are conscious with your colleges looking on and assisting me or two; I treat you unconscious with you friends also asleep. Which is it going to be ?"

The five exchanged uneasy glances as they remembered that they had lost unconsciousness recently.

But how; was it a sleeping gas ? Thought Sharon.

As if Jean could read her mind ; she was shaking her head. "No; it was not a gas; It was me; with my mind. Now tell me if any cylons can do that ?"

Kara looked at Jean as if she had lost her sanity.

"Are you saying you used your mind to ...make us fall asleep ? That's insane !"

Jean smiled coldly at her. "Would you like a _demonstration _?"

Something about how she said it; made Sharon take her seriously.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Dr Grey," said the cylon hastily.

The doctor stared at her for a few moments before turning back to Cally.

"Specialist Tyrol; I'm waiting; what's it going to be? Awake or asleep ?"

Cally looked at her with fear on her face.

LVIII

_**The Bridge; Deck 1...**_

Logan watched the viewscreen as the ship came out of warp; to his immense relief and worry; the cylons were gone.

He used the sensors as the ship went down to the surface.

As Xavier predicted; the ship's sensors were finding it dfficult to detect any living thing on the surface; due to the EMP from the sun and the radioactive fallout from the recent bombarbment.

Logan felt sorry for the unlucky feline creatures who had the misfortune to be caught in the nuclear attack.

"How close to the ground can we get in order to do a visual search ;without damaging the ship ?"

" _100 metres would give us adequate visualization and also enable most of the sensors to work. Shall I proceed ?" _

"Please do."

Logan watched in grim silence as he saw the scorched surface of the planet that he and Jean had visited a short while ago.

Why had the cylons ordered orbital bombarbment on the planet in the first place.?

"_Captain; I detected the Delta Flyer Alpha."_

Logan felt hopeful. "Anyone inside?"

"_There are no life signs detected within the shuttle; it also appears undamaged and it's shield is active." _

Logan frowned. Someone must have activated it before leaving the shuttle.

"Beam it aboard, Xavier. Maybe we might find some answers inside."

The captain headed for the turbolift.

LIX

_**Medical bay...**_

There was silence in the bay as Jean activated a metal bar which began to pass over Cally's still form.

"This is a bio-scanner; it does not hurt or harm and tells me in detail your injuries." Her attentive audience of five were silent; wide awake and _definitely _not making any threatening motions.

Because Jean had stressed she would put them under the moment she felt they wanted to attack her. Something in her expression made them think twice about it and also all their weapons had been taken away from them.

"Specialist Tyrol; you have extensive soft tissue damage to your right quad muscles...that is muscles in the right thigh and also a undisplaced right femoral fracture. Its a wonder you're were able to mobilise on it."

"So what are you planning to do?" asked Cally; her pale face was beaded with sweat due to the severe pain.

Jean looked at her. " You're going to need something for the pain..."

"You promised no sleep!" complained Cally.

"Indeed I did; what I'm talking about is analgesia; not a sedative."

Cally looked at the doctor then back at her throbbing right leg. "Okay; I'll have some."

"Good," said Jean as she extended her right hand towards the nearby counter. There were gasps of astonishment as a small device flew towards her; she ignored them and continued with her work.

"What did you just do ?" asked Sharon as the doctor administered a short burst of analgesic spray to Cally's neck.

"Telekinesis; I used my mind to move the device," answered Jean without turning.

"Bulls..."the rest of the expletive trailed off when Jean gave Kara _the look._

"What she means, is that...what you just did...must have some other explanation," hastily added Hotdog.

"The cylons and their centurions were tossed like nine pins...was that you ?" asked Nails in a stunned voice.

Jean returned the first device the same way she retrieved it and collected another one. "Yes; now pay attention. I am currently using the ortho-dermal replicator to fix the right femur and will proceed with the dermal replicator.

And Kara; these are not weapons."

The other 4 colonials looked at the viper pilot who was looked pole-axed as Jean said what she was thinking.

"How did you..?"

"My mind remember?" said Jean without turning round.

Sharon stared at the doctor's back then really looked around the white gleaming lab with its very strange devices. She was not sure of the others but the cylon felt strongly that Jean Grey and Logan were not cylons.

She failed to see the small smile that appeared briefly on Jean's face.

Finally one of them was seeing reason.

"Specialist Tyrol; after this is done; you need to eat and take fluids. Here are trousers to replace the ones you have.

You also need to take it easy; no heavy lifting or strenous running for at least a week."

Despite the situation; Cally could not help but share a wry glance with her fellow colonials; this lady had no idea what type of life they lived. The remnants of their people were always on the run.

"Yes ma'am," said the specialist calmly.

Jean frowned at her. "I'm a doctor; not military." The devices she was using floated back to table next to Cally.

The specialist eye's followed the silent flight of the devices. "What ever you say ma'am."

"_Jean; this is Logan speaking; you okay ?"_

Everyone looked up at the ceiling.

"Yes Captain; our guests are awake and okay as well."

In the cargo bay; Logan closed his eyes and cursed. Why the hell had she woken those psychos up ?

"_Good to hear; I need to see you in deck three."_

Jean frowned; she could tell in his voice that something was wrong.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." She turned to the five colonials.

"The forcefield will erect once I leave; don't attempt to leave it." She turned to go.

"Are we prisoners ?" asked Kara harshly.

Jean looked at her. "Lieutenant Kara Thrace; while I was healing your specialist; you were thinking of waiting until I left so that you and the others could explore the medical bay; find weapons; break out of this area and also proceed to take over this ship even if it meant killing Logan or me."

Sharon stared at the red expression on the pilot's face.

"So tell me honestly that if our roles were reversed that you would not be throwing Logan and I into a brig to await interrogation ?"

Jean's voice had been calm throughout but each word had Kara sinking within her self and at the end the pilot had nothing to say.

The doctor sighed. "You will come to no harm and we will get you back to your people as soon as we find ours; you have my word."

"You mean your children ?" Sharon found herself saying.

Jean looked at her for a few moments; for a brief moment the cylon saw the worry in the young doctor's eyes.

"Yes, I'll see you soon." She turned and left the medical bay through automatic sliding doors.

There was silence for several minutes; then Cally tried to sit up.

"Someone help me up," Sharon was beside her and assisted the young mechanic. Cally did not hesitate to take the cylon's hand and even thanked her for the help.

Meanwhile; Hotdog had taken several steps forward and ran into the forcefield.

"Shit; this stuff is real," muttered the male pilot.

"Yeah; but it's so hard to believe," said Nails who was also testing out the other side. Kara still silently stood there with her arms around the upper half of her body.

"So...we're with...who exactly ?" asked Cally outloud.

She looked around her. "Are they a new form of cylons?"

Sharon was already shaking her head. "No."

"How can you be so sure ?" the question this time came from Kara.

Sharon waved her arms around her. " Look around you; this is technology beyond Colonials and Cylons! These healing devices have done in minutes what usually takes weeks or months ! Besides they got us off the planet's surface when they had the chance to leave us there.

Believe me when I say this; if Cavil had this type of technology in his hands; he would have done something a lot more destructive with it!"

"What about the way those devices flew...?"started Nails.

"Must be some kind of technological device to make it fly," interrupted Cally.

"Like how the centurions and cylons went flying ?" asked Hotdog incredulously " please!"

"Maybe she used her mind," said Kara in a subduced voice that everyone heard.

"What..." started Cally.

"Because everything she said I was thinking of doing...that was true."

Her words were met with complete silence.

"I don't buy it," said Nails " there's got to be some other kind of explanation."

Sharon crossed her arms. " Would you care for a _demonstration_ ?"

The marine's face paled; he opened his mouth and shut it hurridly.

"What about the fact that they use an AI ?" asked the sceptical Cally " that means networked computers which we _cannot_ ignore."

No one argued with that; it was the existence of networked computers for the defense of the 12 Colonies that had led to death of more than 20 billion lives.

"What's to stop the Thirteenth from having AIs?" Everyone looked at Hotdog.

"The Thirteenth Tribe has been separated from us for over two thousand years," he paused " which would explain them been vastly advanced from us and maybe they didn't make the same mistake we did."

Sharon's face was very grave; she knew what he meant.

"Such as ?" asked Kara.

Hotdog looked at her. "Treating the cylons like slaves and not expecting a rebellion.

However one thing is clear; we better find out how to relate to these people without pissing them off; because if they really are the Thirteenth Tribe then they are our only hope."

Kara glared at him. " Way to go telling them we're desperate ! You do realize they are probably listening in !"

Cally decided to butt in before the female pilot strangled Hotdog. "Even if we decide to ...talk to these people; how do we get in touch with the fleet ? By the time the others get back ...or not; the Admiral would have moved our people somewhere else."

There was solemn silence for a bit.

"Then I guess it will be up to our hosts to show us how _advanced_ they are in tracking the fleet," said Kara quietly.

_**Deck 3; the shuttle bay...**_

Once Jean left the medical bay; she asked Xavier to beam her to the shuttle bay. She had not wanted to scare the Colonials too much; she had already frightened them with a demonstration of her telekinesis and telephathy.

And out of 5 of them only one person thought it was real.

She shook her head as she wondered what she had to do to show them she was a real telepath.

As she materalised in the shuttle bay; she noticed the Delta Flyer Alpha was now in its usual place.

She could also sense worry and anger coming off Logan in waves. Whatever he had found it was not good.

With her heart pounding she called out. "Logan ?"

The captain poked his head out of the front door. "In here."

"What news ?" she asked anxiously as she hurried into the shuttle.

"A lot and it's driving me up the wall; by the way how secure are our...guests?"

"Very secure; Xavier erected a forcefield as I left."

Logan nodded. "Good; anyway vid records from the bridge before Junior and Laura decided to go on a rescue mission for us. I rerouted the vid to the shuttle for you to see."

Jean felt her heart rate pick up. "What happened ?"

"You better watch this." Logan pressed on buttons on the command console.

A holographic video came on; showing Q Junior and Laura running into the bridge and finding out 2 hostile groups had entered the solar system. It went on to show the argument between the two teens about whether or not to fire on the 'cylons'.

Jean's lips tightened as she watched the teens head for the shuttle and fly to earth.

"There's more," said Logan in a grim tone as the video continued to show the two teens in the shuttle. The doctor's eyes widened as she heard Q Junior explain he already knew of the cylons before now. She glanced at Logan to see the fury in his eyes. The last scenes was of the shuttle landing and Laura running out of the shuttle while Q Junior shouted at her to wait.

"I am so going to kill them," said Logan angrily.

Jean was in shock.

"_Now, now; don't act so surprised; you knew he was different didn't you," chided the Phoenix._

"_What do you mean ?" demanded Jean._

"The ship and I have searched the surface and we can't find the kids; Xavier said he can track all the ships that left this planet but it could take a while..."

"Xavier; how does the CMS work?" interrupted Jean as she looked at the ceiling.

Logan looked at her in horror. " Jean you do not have to use that..."

She turned to him. "I do Logan; something here is not right...we need to find the children."

"_The Cerebra Monitoring System can be accessed from any part; all you need is a chair and physical and mental contact with the neural interface of the ship."_

"Will it hurt ?" asked Logan in a worried sharp tone.

"_Due to the modifications; it might cause slight discomfort for a short period of 4.3 seconds."_

"Jean; you're not doing this..."

"Yes I am!," Jean stared a him. "This is my decision; I'm ready and the Phoenix agrees." Something in her expression had him backing down.

"Xavier; please get me a seat."

2 minutes later; Jean was sitting close to the wall with her right hand against the side of the shuttle bay as an anxious Logan paced up and down infront of her like an expectant father.

She closed her eyes and for one brief moment almost panicked as she realized she had no way of how to start using the system.

"_Will you relax already ? Just breathe and...let go."_

Jean listened to the Phoenix gentle scolding and followed her advice. At once she had a slight headache which lasted a brief moment; then she felt herself leaving her body but seeing all the minds on the ship.

Logan; anxious; scared and...in love with her.

Lieutenant Kara Thrace; worried and still thinking of taking over the ship.

Lieutenant Sharon Agathon, not over the death of her child...concerned her child may still be alive and with the enemy; scared she would never see her husband...and she was a cylon!

Specialist Cally...hate for the cylons burned like a flame; but part of her was in the process of changing that attitude towards...Sharon.

Nails...scared of the ship...scared of _her_...Jean Grey; wondered if she was a cylon.

Hotdog...who actually though Dr Grey was kind of hot!

"_Enough eavesdropping other me; we have work to do."_ Said the Phoenix with amusement in its voice.

Jean sped away from the ship at a dizzying speed as she sort Laura Kinney's mind and almost instantly she found it; surrounded by many other minds; she tried looking for Q Junior.

"_Oh no you don't...try looking through the minds of those around Laura,"_ advised the Phoenix in a slightly anxious tone.

Jean complied and saw the ship emerge from a 'jump' to find a large group of ships with many minds worried about cylons; reliving the destruction of their homeworlds.

Jean had only peeked briefly at the minds of Kara and her people; she did not want to intrude but those brief glances had shown fear, horror and loathing.

Something terrible had happened to these people and for some reason they hated AIs.

Why ?

"_This is no time to be squemish;you need to dig deeper."_

Something in the Phoenix voice had her complying as she looked into one man's particular mind; his name was Saul Tigh.

Logan watched her anxiously; her eyes were closed and she looked asleep.

She had been like that for 6 minutes and he was half tempted to remove her hand from the wall; but even he was unsure of what damage may occur.

Then all of a sudden she was awake and gasping for air; Logan rushed to hold her as she almost fell off the chair.

"Jean! Are you okay ?" he almost shouted for Q Junior to come and assess her; then remembered that the EMEH was missing.

"What happened ?"

Jean had her eyes open and looked sick and terrified.

"That does it; you're not using that thing again !"

"No! Listen to me; the CMS works perfectly! I found them and the fleet they were taken to..I had to...had to read someone's mind to find out why they hated AIs so much!"

Logan frowned. "What are you saying ? You're not making sense."

Jean took deep breathes to calm herself. " Kara Thrace and her people are Colonials...there are other Colonials out there; about 40,000 of them. They have Laura and Q Junior."

"Then we ask Kara where they are and go get them..."

"You don't understand!" yelled Jean. Logan stopped talking; something had scared her the telepath badly.

"The cylons were the slaves to the Colonials; then they rebelled...about 2 years ago the Cylons nuked the 12 Colonies and killed more than 20 billion humans."

Logan felt his lower jaw drop.

"The Colonials hate everything cylon or even AIs; apparently the Cylons were able to destroy their planets by using human looking cylons and shutting down their networked defense system.

If...when the Colonials discover Laura has adamantium bonded to her bones and that Q Junior is a mobile hologram; they will try and kill them! We need to get there asap !"

Wolverine was speechless as he helped her stand up.

"How do we do that ?"

Jean looked at him; gone was the fear; in its place was now fierce determination. " We have the CMS and I now have the co-ordinates; we don't have anytime to waste."

**Hi everyone; hope your weekend was awesome; thanks so much for your reviews and I hope you like this one as well. I will try and update soon; please read and review ! Cheerio !**


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine.

LX

_**Battlestar Galactica, the CIC...**_

Saul Tigh was having a bad day; and anyone looking at him could see it.

Yesterday; he had seen Dr Cottle for a check up. There had been symptoms of increasing heartburn, stomach pain and mild to moderate breathlessness.

The wiry old doctor had told him bluntly his heart and liver were showing signs of damage due to the large amount of alcohol that he took.

He had mentioned he had the beginning of 'alcoholic cardiomyopathy' and alcoholic liver disease.

Saul had interrupted the good doctor and asked him how long he had to live.

Dr Cottle had looked at him in shock. "Saul; I can't give you an exact answer but continuing on this path will eventually kill you and not in a pleasant way!"

The officer had nodded then looked at the doctor with his remaining one eye. "Then I guess I have to drink a lot more to get the job done quicker." He left the medical bay; ignoring Dr Cottle's protests.

When he woke up this morning with his usual hangover he had barely reached for a bottle of alcohol before the Admiral knocked on his door. He became sober very quickly when Adama solemnly told him of the meeting that was about to take place.

Saul personally did not believe in the existence of Earth or the Thirteenth tribe; infact he found it very hard to believe in anything since he murdered Ellen Tigh; his wife.

He saw her most nights in his dreams and it was only when he drank a lot that he had dreamless nights.

However he knew he had to attend the meeting sober; he owned Adama that much.

After the meeting; he and Commander Lee Adama saw the vipers and raptors off; Saul was fairly convinced that it would be another dead end.

When Racetrack returned with only one viper; he knew that something had gone terribly wrong. The raptor had bullet scarrings and the pilot looked scared to death.

_Cylons._

It had to be.

The quick debriefing only confirmed his suspicions that Starbuck and her team had walked into a frakking trap.

Commander Lee had taken command of the situation and quickly found out from Racetrack that the other two raptors had been close behind her. Lee spoke with his father and half of the fleet jumped while the _**Galactica**_ and the other half of the fleet decided to remain behind to wait for the others with weapons primed in case of a cylon attack.

Saul thought waiting was a bad idea. He was certain cylons were already on their way to their current location; overwhelming hate filled him as he recalled all the torture and pain he had suffered at their hands.

And Ellen's death at his hands.

He desperately needed a stiff drink especially now that the rest of the Quorum had found out about the mission.

Saul did not know or when it got out; maybe it happened when half of the fleet jumped but less than 3 minutes after the debriefing; the Admiral was_ ordered _to attend an emergency meeting on Colonial One with the President and the rest of the Quorum.

If anyone asked a certain XO; this was the _worst _time to have a political meeting.

"DRADIS contact! Two raptors and three vipers inbound !"

Saul turned quickly towards Lieutenant Junior Grade Anastasia 'Dee' Dualla. Her husband had already reached her console.

"I'm getting a valid colonial code...it's Ensign Anders."

"Patch me through to him on a secure line," said Saul before Lee could say a word.

The XO waited until Dee gave him the go ahead sign.

"This is Saul Tigh of Galactica; how does your situation read over ?"

There was silence for a few seconds.

"_Sir; Ensign Anders on the line; we are secure over."_

Saul saw Lee and Dee relax a bit; but Anders had not finished talking.

"_I ...also have with me two additional passengers...they may be the ones we have been looking for."_ Saul frowned and looked at a stunned Lee.

"They found them ?" whispered Lee in a shocked voice. Dee gave him a puzzled look. Apparently she had no idea what was going on.

Saul however had other ideas. "Maybe...maybe not," he signalled to Dee to terminate the connection.

" Commander Lee; get the Galactica and the other ships to jump once Anders is on board. I'll go down to meet them and...check out our new guests."

The young commander watched the XO leave; today the old man was more sober since they had left New Caprica; but Lee felt he was not ready to resume command. As far as he was concerned the man was a bit unstable.

Lee looked around the CIC and saw a familiar Lieutenant Junior Grade.

"Felix."

The colonial officer looked up from his console and walked over when Lee indicated he should approach him.

"Go after the XO and observe what's happening on the flight deck; anything that seems off contact me on this." He gave the surprised officer a handheld communicator.

Felix looked at the commander with obvious reluctance.

"Sir...I think someone else would be better..."

"I don't have anybody else who I can trust with this," said Lee in a low voice.

He held Felix's gaze for several seconds. Then the junior officer nodded shakily and went after the XO. Lee turned to see Dee staring at him.

"Lee; what's going on ?"

The young officer sighed. "I can't...I promise I will tell you all later. I need to jump the rest of the fleet once Anders gets on board."

Dee turned back to her console. "Fine...I'll wait."

LXI

Anders stared at the radio; the connection had been severed before he could ask about Kara and the others.

"What was that about?" asked Bill.

"I don't know, let's just get to the ship" said Anders softly as he adjusted his flight pattern to fit into the Galactica Flight deck. Something was seriously wrong if Saul Tigh was back in his position as the XO. The last time he had seen the officer he had been so drunk he had not recognised Anders.

The raptors and vipers came into the flight deck one after the other; crew ran forward to attach magnetic clamps to the landing gear to keep each spacecraft in place during jumps.

Before Anders could unbuckle his seat belt; his radio came on.

"_Ensign Anders; please tell your crew to remain inside ; we're jumping the fleet in 15 seconds...and the XO is coming down to you."_

"Acknowledged sir," said Anders recognising Lee Adama's voice "are Kara and the others okay ? They got back alright ?"

There was silence for a few seconds.

On the other side; Lee closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"_They are not with you?"_

Anders felt dread grow in his chest at Lee's words. "No...I thought...they..." he could not continue.

"_Anders; we'll get to it but now the fleet needs to jump; over."_

There was silence in the cockpit as Lee signed off.

"I'm really sorry..." began Bill.

"No...we will find them; she's not dead yet," said Anders as he quickly removed his seatbelt.

"Wait! We're about to jump!"

The pilot ignored him and was out of his seat in mere moments. He held on the handgrips for support as he moved towards the door that led to the back of the raptor.

He had just opened the door when the small craft trembled.

The fleet had jumped. Anders looked up and saw Tyler staring at him; the marine was also on his feet.

"A little warning next time before a jump would have been sufficient Ensign Anders; I almost busted my head standing up too soon."

"Sorry about that; I need to speak to the kids," said Anders hurryingly as he passed the marine.

The two teenagers were still sitting with their seat belts on.

"Can we take these off now?" asked the boy called Q.

"Yeah; sure...look it appears your people are not here," said Anders a he went down on one knee.

Laura looked at the anxious pilot with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I thought they were with my people...but it looks like maybe my wi...I mean the other colonials who were on the planet could have left with... your people."

"We should have gone back to the shuttle," muttered Q Junior.

Laura glared at him.

Anders stared at him. "A ship? Is that where they are ? Could they still be on that planet ?"

A banging on the main hatch door stopped either teen from answering.

One of the marines moved to open it.

LXII

When Saul got to the flight deck he saw someone else was already there.

Tom Zarek.

What the frak was the vice president doing on the flight deck and how come he was not at the meeting ?

"Nice to see you Saul," said the ex-con calmly when he noticed the XO.

"Shouldn't you be in the meeting?"

Zarek laughed coldly. "Maybe...but I'm curious as to what delayed these raptors, I found Racetrack's story worrying."

The XO stared at him. "You already know."

"Laura was kind enough to inform me that they walked into a..." he looked around carefully " a situation."

Saul nodded; he didn't like the ex-con but he respected him. He told you things as he saw it and was ready to make hard decisions.

"Anders is on one of these raptors and he's got...two guests."

Zarek looked at him. " Now that I have not heard...does Laura ...or the Admiral know?"

Saul shook his head.

The vice president looked back at the raptors and the vipers that had returned. "I'm not here to tell you your job...but we need to do a thorough threat assessment."

"I agree." Saul turned to one of the marines nearby and ordered him to get the raptors to open up.

Nearby marines stood ready with weapons as the doors to the raptors opened.

Sergeant Tyler stuck his head out of the first one. "We have got wounded; stable but needing medical assessment."

"Where's Longshot?" asked Saul.

"Here sir," answered the Ensign behind the Tyler "let's get the wounded out first sir," said the pilot politely but firmly.

Saul pressed his lips firmly together and nodded stiffly as medics moved forward with stretchers.

"How many dead ?" asked Saul as the first injured were carried out.

"5 dead; 4 injured...there would have been more dead if not for what the...kids did for them on the way here," said Tyler.

The XO and vice president stared at him.

"What kids?" asked Zarek.

"Those two," said the marine pointing to the open hatch. The two men turned to see 2 teenagers following Ensign Anders. One of them ; a boy was talking to the pilot.

The boy looked to be around 14 to 15yrs old; tall and slim with curly brown hair and a very curious expression on his face as he looked at the soldiers and flight crew. He had on a light blue shirt with black trousers and shiny black shoes. He also had a small black circular object over the left shoulder.

The girl looked younger; maybe 12 or 13yrs of age a bit shorter than the boy; with midnight black shoulder length hair; wearing a dark grey figure hugging t-shirt with black jeans and black soft looking shoes. Unlike the boy she looked everywhere with eyes filled with barely disguised suspicion.

Saul had gone over profiles of everyone who had gone on this mission and none of the colonial soldiers had been this young.

These two were not colonials; they had to be a new form of cylons.

And he knew just what to do with them.

LXIII

Laura listened as she took in her surroundings. She had felt like kicking herself when she realized that the others were not with Ander's people.

Then she had felt like strangling Q Junior when he meekly handed over his phase pistol; tricorder and medical instruments to the colonial pilot when he had asked for them. However the colonial pilot had missed the portable holoemitter and Q had not bothered to inform him.

Then Anders had taken one look at her.

"They are surgically attached," she told him stiffly.

He went pale. "Okay...we do not mean you any harm...once I speak to the Admiral we will try to go back to the planet for both our people. You have my word I will do all I can."

She had looked at him for several moments. "Fine." She wondered if he knew how close she was to losing her cool.

These people were highly strung and looked battle weary. What the hell had Q gotten them mixed up in ? She turned to look at the not-hologram.

He was also looking around but gone was the curiousity; it was now replaced with a slightly anxious expression. Laura could not wait to get him alone to ask him what was exactly going on.

And she wanted the _extended _version.

As they followed Anders down the short ramp; she saw two men were waiting surrounded by 6 burly marines. The older one had an eye patch and was in uniform while the younger one was wearing a suit.

Laura sized them up, automatically checking for the best way to take out the protection detail; then she remembered she was no longer in the assassination business.

Taking out terminator like bots was not a problem but she was tired of killing.

She shook her head slightly and missed when the one eyed man said something to the man in a suit.

"You okay?" asked Q Junior.

Laura glared at him. " You gave him your equipment, why?" she hissed.

"Don't worry I deactivated the phaser...thingy, they can't use it," said Q Junior in a reassuring whisper.

Laura resisted the strong urge to attempt throttling the not-hologram.

"Remind me to teach you the one-oh-one on away missions in possible hostile areas," she whispered back to him.

She turned her attention back to Anders who had stopped in front of the two men. "This is Laura and Q ...we found them on the planet..."

"Bring them," said the one eyed man as he turned to move away.

"And sir ; you are?" asked Q politely " Ensign Anders just introduced us."

Saul looked at the boy with a hard expression.

" This is Colonel Saul Tigh; our XO and Tom Zarek; our vice president," said Anders hurryingly. The XO glared at the ensign.

"Sir; we need their help...I think Kara and the others are with their own people," continued Anders quickly " where's the Admiral...?"

"He's busy, I'm in charge and if...these two have information then there is no time to waste is there ?" cut in Saul Tigh.

"So what happens now?" asked Laura.

The XO looked at her with a weird cold smile. " We need to discuss in a more...convenient location. Ensign Anders bring them." He and Zarek turned to go as 6 armed marines moved in closely.

"Hey guys stand down; they're alright," said Bill who inserted himself between Laura and the nearest marine.

The blond ECO had been standing nearby; hoping to get a glimpse of the two kids who he was convinced were of the 13th tribe. He looked over his right shoulder at Laura.

"Hi I'm Ensign Billy Buck Rogers; nice to meet you," he said with a bright sincere smile.

Laura forced her hands to relax; fortunately she had not popped her claws.

"I'm Laura Kinney, nice to meet you too," she turned to follow Anders and caught Q Junior giving Ensign Rogers an evil look.

What was wrong with him?

As the group left the flight deck; no one noticed a certain Lieutenant Junior Grade watching them from a corner of the busy deck.

Felix followed them discreetly; praying that Saul or Zarek did not notice him. He had seen the way the XO had looked at the two children; it was the same way Saul Tigh had looked at Felix when he stood trial for been a cylon collaborator.

The lieutenant swallowed nervously and tried to walk slower so as not to alert; them. However when Saul passed the corridor that led to the holding cells; that was when Felix suddenly realized what the XO was up to.

No; oh Gods no; it can't be; thought Felix anxiously as Saul walked down a particular corridor that the lieutenant saw in his frequent nightmares.

He quickly started pressing buttons on the handheld communicator.

LXIV

"So where are we going?" asked Laura.

Anders looked a bit concerned. "I'm...not too sure; maybe it's to meet up with the Admiral. He must be in an important meeting at the moment."

"What were you guys doing on that planet by the way ?" asked Q Junior.

The pilot looked at him. " I'm afraid we need to see Admiral Adama first; he will explain what he can..." his voice trailed off when Saul stopped and turned to face them.

"Please turn and look to your left," said the XO.

Laura and Q Junior turned to face a heavily reinforced transparent door which slid open quickly.

Anders turned a puzzled look onto the XO. "Why are we at a..." he never got to finish his question because Saul nodded at people behind the two teens.

Laura barely had time to turn round when a heavy weight slammed into her back. The force propelled her forward as she tripped and fell into the small chamber. She landed face down on the hard metal floor.

The second marine behind Q tried to push him but he was already stepping into the room to go to Laura's aid. Then the door slid shut after him.

"Ow," said Laura softly as she tried to clear her vision; oddly enough her claws had not popped.

"Are you okay?" asked a worried Q as he helped her stand up.

"What the hell just happened ?" as she tried to work out the cramp in her neck. Q looked at her; the bruises on her face were already healing instantly.

"I'm not sure...but something is really wrong."

Laura took in their surroundings. "Find out what is going on or else my claws are coming out."

Q ran to the door and tried to see what was happening. His eyes widened when he saw Anders and Bill were both on their knees with guns pointed to their heads. The blond ECO was cradling his left forearm.

"Laura; you need to see this."

LXV

"What the frak are you doing?" yelled Anders when the door shut down trapping the two teens in the chamber.

"That is an airlock!" added Ensign Rogers; he moved to open the door but before he could do so one of the nearby marines grabbed his left forearm and slammed it hard against the wall. The pilot screamed in pain as he felt it break.

Anders moved to help him and got his legs kicked out; then he felt the pressure of a muzzle against the side of his head.

"Be grateful Ensign that you are not in there with them; Gods know that is enough reason for executing you for bringing cylons on board this ship !"

Anders looked at the mad light in Saul's remaining eye as Zarek stood nearby saying nothing.

"Listen to me sir; those two saved our lives...they are of the Thirteenth Tribe; they were on the planet looking for their people. This is wrong..."

"No! You listen to me! You are too stupid to realize you all walked into a frakking trap! Now Starbuck is missing along with that _cylon_; our specialist...people who know enough to lead them back to us!

Look at them!" Saul grabbed Anders by the hair and forced him to look at the airlock door.

The two teenagers were staring at the scene.

Anders wondered if they were aware of what was about to happen.

LXVI

Q Junior knew something was seriously wrong when he saw the fear in Anders eyes.

"Q; any ideas ?" said Laura as she flexed her fingers; some instinct told her it was not yet time to pop the claws; she preferred to do so when she was up close and personal with her targets.

And right now; the old officer called Saul Tigh was looking like a very good target; once Q got the door open.

Before Q could answer they both heard the XO's voice.

"You're cylons aren't you? Well by now I'm sure you recognise your location. It's an airlock." The two teens exchanged a worried look.

"I'm only going to ask you once; what are your plans ? Who else is coming to attack us?"

Q Junior looked at Laura.

"Listen to me very carefully; I need you to get close to that door and kneel so that your claws will provide some traction once he blows the airlock."

"What..." began Laura.

"Please; for once listen to me," pleaded Q Junior urgently. She took one look at his worried expression and did as he instructed.

Q remained standing. He waited until she was close to door.

"Colonel Saul Tigh; we are not cylons; we were just looking for our people on the planet when your people and the cylons turned up. We are from Earth."

On the other side of the door; Anders felt his heart go cold when Saul started laughing.

"I see through your lies; say hi to Cavil for me." He removed the protective cover over a red button by the door and pressed down.

"Oh Gods no," said Bill in anguish as the airlock activated.

Anders was watching; he saw Laura kneeling on the floor; the sudden violent sucking out of air pushed her towards the vaccum of space then remarkably she stopped. Anders could see the claw marks in front of her.

Then suddenly; Q Junior came through the door like a movie ghost phasing through a wall.

"By the Lords of Kobol !" exclaimed a nearby marine; that was as far as he got because the young boy with a wild cry slammed the burly marine who had to be 4 times heavier against the bulkhead. The marine slumped to the floor unconscious. The others tried to aim their weapons at the enraged teen but he quickly grabbed a pistol and shoved one marine into the path of three of the marines; they went down in a tangle of limbs. It soon became clear what his objective was ; Saul Tigh.

The old warrior stood his ground and put three shots into the boy's chest; amazingly he seemed to absorb the bullets without any sign of pain before grabbing the XO; disarming him and forcing him to his knees.

Q Junior maintained an iron grip around his neck and put his newly acquired handgun to the side of Saul Tigh's head.

Then he looked at Anders with a furious light in his eyes. "Get Laura out of there ! Now!"

The last marine had his gun still pointed at Bill; both of them and Zarek were staring at the boy with their jaws open.

Anders got up slowly. " Q...she may be dead..."

He stopped talking when Q Junior glared at him. " She's not dead! Get the door open now!"

Anders heard running footsteps but he still moved to red button to shut it down.

"Do...not shut it down !" yelled Saul Tigh even though he had a gun pointed to his head.

The ensign pretended not to hear him as he closed the outer door.

"Why isn't the door opening?" demanded Q Junior.

"We need to let the pressures equalize."

"What the frak is going on ?" demanded another voice that Anders recognized.

Commander Lee Adama had arrived with 10 marines who were heavily armed.

"Lee; arrest this boy ! And Anders..." Saul shut up when Q Junior's iron grip on his neck tightened.

"You can arrest us after Laura gets out from your fucking airlock !" screamed Q Junior. Lee took one look at the very slim young extremely agitated teen who had Saul Tigh in a choke hold as well as holding a gun to his head.

The young commander turned to Anders for an explanation.

"We found them on the planet; they say they are from Earth," there were stunned gasps from the group that accompanied Lee " and our XO put them in the airlock; he tried to space them." Lee felt his lower jaw drop in shock.

At that moment; the inner door of the airlock slid open; Lee and Anders looked into the chamber to see a young girl on her knees. Her head was down; the long black hair covered her face and her T-shirt and jeans were torn in some areas and her exposed arms showed huge pink blisters which were already bleeding; the effect of been exposed to the harsh cold vaccum of space.

The forceful expulsion of air had pushed her to the edge of the airlock chamber; just in-front of her were deep grooves in the floor.

She was so still; both men were sure she was dead.

Anders made a move to go inside.

"Don't" everyone looked at Q Junior. Even Saul was silent.

"She'll rip you to pieces."

"Q...I think she's de..."began Anders then he heard an odd wheezing noise and saw her move her head slightly.

"That's impossible," no one looked at Zarek as he said what all of them were thinking.

"Anders; he's all yours," said Q Junior as he shoved the XO to the floor and moved towards the entrance to the airlock. The 4 marines he had floored got out of his way with fearful expressions on their faces.

They had fought centurions and humanoid cylons; this boy was something else. If he was a new form of cylon; then the Colonials were well and truly frakked.

If he was of the Thirteenth Tribe and word of what happened got back to his people ; then the consequences of their actions did not even bear thinking about.

Q Junior was unaware of their fears; right now his number one priority was Laura.

"Laura; you need to get up and come towards my voice."

Q wanted to go in and help her but he did not trust these colonials; even Anders who had been helpful. He had been hopeful that Laura's regenerative abilities would keep her alive but he was not ready to take that chance again.

He and the others watched as the barely moving girl tried in vain to stand up. The failed attempt showed a single long metal claw in each foot as well as the two in the back of each hand.

Hardened soldiers swore and weapons came up.

"Hold your fire!" yelled Lee and Anders at the same time; the two exchanged a look. The marines did not fire but still kept their weapons up.

Q Junior did not acknowledge any of them.

"Laura; you're doing good; just keep moving."

To Anders and Lee's relief; the claws retracted as the girl crawled slowly towards Q Junior's voice. When she got close to the inner door he reached in and dragged her out quickly; then carried her in his arms easily. She flopped her head onto his chest; her hair still covering her face.

The wheezing sound was much louder; signs of serious chest wall damage.

Lee looked at the boy. He looked relieved to have the girl with him and seemed oblivious at the guns aimed at both of them.

"She doesn't sound good; we have a doctor who can take a look at her..."

The boy glared at him. "I presume you have a holding cell with our names on it? Take us there and I'm not letting any of you touch her."

Lee looked at the set stubborn expression on his face.

"She's badly hurt; she needs medical treatment."

"Then Ensign Anders I would like to have my equipment returned so that I can treat her."

Lee turned to Anders. " Equipment?"

"Yes; the same medical equipment I used to treat your soldiers when they were injured in the attack, remember ?" stated Q Junior bitterly.

Anders felt his face go red. " I will give them..."

"No," interrupted Lee " we need to look at his stuff and we will also need to take your friend's blades away..."

Q Junior held the girl tighter. "They are surgically attached and do not think that I'm letting your surgeons near her for one second. Now if you will direct us to our quarters ?"

Lee stared at the boy for several moments. He was a child; yet something was very odd about him.

"Anders; take them to detention block 22; then return to CIC for debriefing."

Without another word; the boy with the semiconscious girl in his arms followed the ensign away with 10 marines as guards.

Bill was standing at this point and watched them leave as well.

"Now ; two of you get that unconscious man to the medics; the rest are to return to your duties. Bill; have your arm seen to then return to me for debriefing."

Lee turned to see Saul Tigh was already on his feet; he looked at his XO for several moments with a disgusted expression.

"What are you looking at? Those two could be cylons!"

Lee said nothing and barely acknowledged Zarek as he walked away.

Soon; it was only the XO and the vice president who were alone in the corridor.

"Well...that didn't go as well as I thought..." began Zarek.

"You know what, I'm getting a drink," muttered Saul as he stormed off.

The ex-con watched him go.

LXVII

**The Basestar...**

Caprica watched the video; it was of the encounter with the Xavier when the raiders had tried to capture it. She had watched every video they had of the sleek alien ship several times as well as the video of the two people they had met on the planet's surface.

The same people who had to be with the Colonials and were possibly giving them the co-ordinates of Earth.

It was situations like this that made her want to kill Cavil again and again.

She had to admit his plan to plant trackers in the raptors was brilliant but his stupid decision to bombard the planet had shown how immature and dangerous he was.

His antics were becoming more and more worrying.

"_Six, we have arrived."_

"On my way," she shut down her vid-computer and made her way to the CIC.

The mood in the CIC was tense; she took one look at the DRADIS screen.

"Let me guess; the Colonials are not here? I told you it was too early to use those tracking devices; I had not yet worked out all the bugs."

"Then work faster next time," said Cavil coldly without looking at her.

"Well; at least we know the devices worked," said Boomer " I'm picking up traces of radiation due to tylium use; the Colonials were definitely here.

But we don't know how long ago they left this place."

Caprica frowned. " Can our sensors pick up any other odd radiation that is not linked to Colonial spacecraft ?"

Boomer could see where the Number six was going with this.

"Our sensors could not penetrate that strange ship so I don't have a clue as to what kind of fuel they use."

"Well..." the alarms went off as a dot appeared on the DRADIS screen. Everyone went silent as they tried to identify where the ship was; then they saw it in on the viewscreen.

It was the strange alien ship; the _Xavier_.

"It's them; scramble raiders, I want that ship!" ordered Cavil.

LXVIII

**The Xavier, Deck 1, the bridge...**

"_Captain; other ships detected...they appear to be cylon, 3 basestars."_

Logan resisted from swearing when he saw the massive Y-shaped ships on the screen.

"Where are the colonials ?...they must have jumped," said Jean worryingly. She looked at Logan. " The XO Saul Tigh had instructions to jump the ship once everyone got back...I was hoping we would get to them in time."

"Xavier; can you detect any space debris ?"

"_None captain; there is evidence of a distinctive ion trail for the Colonial ships but it will take longer to track then using the CMS."_

Logan turned to Jean ; only to find her leaning on wall with her eyes closed.

"Jean..." he moved towards her.

"_She is using the CMS captain and at the moment her pulse is 110beats per minute and her respiratory rate is 24 cycles a minute; she is otherwise stable."_

Logan frowned; those figures were a bit on the high side.

The captain was still not convinced that the CMS was completely safe; he had no idea what it could do. The Cerebro at Xavier's school was big and creepy enough; to have one the size of the ship was mind-blowing.

After less than a minute; she opened her eyes. She seemed calm in comparism to last time.

She saw Logan's worried look. "I only used the CMS on the cylons...its appears they are looking for the colonials as well...hmm that's interesting...," she looked puzzled.

"What's wrong? " asked Logan.

She turned to him. " There is a half cylon child on board on those basestars; and oh their leader wants the Xavier."

Logan stared at her as the ship confirmed her words.

"_Sensor show smaller ships been launched from all 3 basestars; they are heading in our direction."_

"Xavier, go to warp," ordered Logan calmly.

"_Acknowledged."_

Boomer was waiting to get in range before sending the computer virus however before that could occur; the ship disappeared in a flash of light.

She heard a snap sound as Cavil broke the pen he was holding; he looked so angry she was worried he would have a heart attack.

Caprica looked amused. "Don't worry Cavil; I'm sure they are just a little shy." He glared at her before storming out of the CIC.

"Must you do that?"

Caprica turned to see Boomer looking at her.

"Do what? Point out how his actions could lead to our destruction or to another war with a more advanced Tribe ?"

"They ran away twice; doesn't that say something ?" asked D'anna.

Caprica narrowed her eyes. " What do you mean ?"

"If they are that advanced; surely they could do tremendous damage to us so why have they not attacked? Maybe their weapons are not that impressive."

The Number Six stared at her. "Correct me if I'm wrong but all of us were on the planet when they one; used some device to throw us about; two, they outran the nukes; three, their ship easily outdistanced our most advanced raiders as well as destroyed the most advanced computer virus that we sent after it. Need I say any more ?

If their defences are that good; I doubt if any of us are keen to see what they are like when they go on the offensive !"

She walked out of the CIC.

Both female cylons watched her leave.

"She's right...Cavil's decisions have been...rather erratic as of late," said D'Anna.

Boomer frowned. "Assuming the role of leadership is not easy; he has tough decisions to make."

"Which is why the rest of us need to watch Cavil closely," said the Number Three gravely.

**The Xavier, the Bridge, Deck 1...**

Once the ship went into warp; Logan turned to see Jean sitting down wearily.

"Are you alright ?"

She nodded; her face was pale and she looked exhausted.

"I'm just a little thirsty."

Logan walked up to her. "When last did you have something to eat or drink ?"

Jean hesitated before answering.

"I thought as much; you not using the CMS again," Jean glared at him "at least until you have something to eat and drink," completed Logan.

She softened her expression. "Fine; I'll eat; then use the CMS."

Logan nodded reluctantly. "Meanwhile; I'm going to talk to our guests; please wait until I get back until you use that thing."

Jean sighed. "Okay; I promise to wait; by the way...Lieutenant Agathon is one of the humanoid cylons."

She could see Logan did not seem too surprised.

"Is she a risk to the ship?"

Jean shook her head. " No, actually she's more likely to accept us than the other colonials who are all completely human."

Logan snorted. "Figures; humans tend to kill each other on sight; why should it be any different 300yrs in the future? This won't take long," he noticed Jean giving him an odd look.

"What is it?"

"I gave them my word we will not harm them...infact I'm coming with you there's a couple of things you need to know of them."

"No; you don't have to; you promised to eat first remember ?"

She stared at him for several moments. "Fine; but before you go; there are a couple of things you need to know."

**Deck 1, Medical Bay...**

Sharon was one of the first to notice the doors to the med bay slid open as the captain walked in. The others stopped talking when they saw him.

He was approximately 5 feet 10; stocky muscular build with wild looking jet back hair and side burns. His hard blue-grey eyes looked at each of them for a few moments.

"You already know who I am; what can you tell me of the cylons ?"

Kara stared at him. "What ?"

Logan concentrated on her. "We tracked your fleet; however they seemed to have left before we got here. But the cylons also happened to be in the same neighbourhood."

All five stood up at that.

"The cylons ? Why...what do you know about them ?" asked Kara suspiciously.

"Not enough," shot back Logan " just that they tend to nuke first and ask questions later. What can you tell me about them ?"

The five colonials looked at each other.

"You expect us to share information with you? Why don't you get Dr Grey to read our minds" asked Cally in surprise.

Logan folded his arms and leaned against one of the tables.

"That is not how we _usually _obtain information," he paused waiting for the words to sink in "however; it appears our crew somehow ended up with you fleet."

Sharon stared at him. " Your children? How did they...I mean we didn't see them."

They saw the captain wince. "The... kids went down to the planet when you and the cylons showed up. They left their shuttle on the surface."

"So; how sure are you that they are alive?" asked Nails.

Logan looked at him. "They are; because we tracked their bio-signs to the last place your fleet was located."

Cally rubbed her forehead. "Wait; that's impossible; there is no way you found the fleet because there are no sensors that effective or with such a range. You have got to be kidding !"

The captain said nothing for a while.

"You still haven't answered my questions; what can you tell me about the cylons ?"

"Are you really the Thirteenth Tribe ?" asked Hotdog.

"Excuse me?"

"The Thirteenth Tribe? You said you're from Earth ?" said the pilot worryingly.

Logan gave a sign of frustration. "We're from Earth; but I have no idea what you mean by the Thirteenth Tribe." He saw the 5 soldiers look at each other with varying levels of anxiety and confusion. "If one of you could explain what it means..."

Sharon looked at him and decided to take the plunge.

"In the ancient texts it states that more than 2000 years ago; the 13 tribes of man left Kobol; the birthplace of humanity. The 1st 12 tribes settled on planets close to each other but the 13th tribe left for an uncharted region of space and settled on a planet called Earth...we're trying to find them."

The captain stared at her for a long time; she had the feeling what she just said made no sense to him at all.

"Well; some historians are going to have a fit when they hear that," said Logan finally.

"You don't believe us?" asked Kara in shock "why ?"

"Lady; I'm no historian but I know for a fact that human life _first_ started on Earth more than 150,000 years ago."

Everyone stared at him in shock.

"That's...blasphaemy!" exclaimed Cally. Logan blinked in surprise.

"People; a theological or historical debate is not the reason for this visit," he decided to try another question. He turned to Sharon.

"You're a cylon, aren't you ?"

She and the others seemed stunned that he knew that.

"How did you know ?"

"Your deadly twin with the terminator bots was kind of a dead giveaway...especially when she called the Colonials their enemies."

Kara stepped closer to Sharon as if to support her. " Yes; she's a cylon; so what ? She's also one of us; a colonial officer."

Logan raised his eyebrow at that; this was getting more interesting considering the hatred the Colonials had for all things AI.

"Intriguing...are you some sort of robot or cyborg?" he saw them exchange more confused looks " a cyborg is part machine and part flesh and blood."

"I'm... 100 percent flesh and blood ," answered Sharon hesitantly "why are you asking?

"Is it possible for cylons to have children ?" He watched the blood drain from the cylon's face.

"What the frak are you up to ?" asked Kara angrily.

"Our sensors picked up a half cylon child on one of the basestars...so I take it cylons reproducing is not normal..."

"What do you know about the child?" interrupted Sharon " was it a girl? About 5 months old..." Kara grabbed her arm and whispered urgently in her ears.

"Don't, he's toying with you...something is not right."

She had no idea that Wolverine had exceptional hearing.

"I apologize if my questions caused you distress; that was not my intention," said Logan to Kara and Sharon's amazement.

He looked at them for several moments; he could tell this bunch was not ready to tell him anything useful.

"We'll locate your fleet and return you to them," he turned to go.

"Is that all you'll do? Won't you help us find the way to Earth?" asked Cally.

Logan looked at her. "Right now; my _only_ concern is finding my crew."

He turned away from their shocked expressions and left the medical bay.

**Hi everyone; thanks so much for the reviews ! Sorry about the long wait; been pretty hectic the past few weeks. Hope you like this chapter ! Wish me luck with the others! Have a great week people.**


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 of The Phoenix and the Wolverine.

LXIX

**The Galactica, Detention Block 22...**

Ensign Anders entered the cell first to show the still angry strange young male teenager that it was safe. He also quickly looked to check there were blankets for the two prisoners; then he left the cell.

Q glared at him for a few moments before entering the cell; Anders had to look away because personally the pilot felt he had betrayed the two young people.

He had practically asked them to trust him with their lives and he had led them straight to an airlock; the fact that they were not dead was a miracle.

But the sound of laboured breathing from the young girl was worrying.

"Q; please let me get a doctor to look at her..."

"That will be all Ensign Anders," said Q Junior dismissing the colonial pilot with a cold look on his face.

Anders stood still for several moments; then turned to go, but he felt he had to say something.

"I'm sorry."

Q did not acknowledge his apology; he had turned his back on the pilot and was gently putting Laura on the nearest bed. He put blankets round her and proceeded to examine her face. His sharp intake of breath told Anders that what he was looking at was unexpected.

Anders wisely kept his distance and backtracked out of the cell. The door slid shut as he left.

He looked at the 8 marines who had positioned themselves outside the cell door; Anders knew that if Q decided to break out; no one would have a chance of stopping him.

What in the name of Hades was he?

LXX

Pain; so much pain.

When Laura knelt before the door; she had not known what to expect. Something in Q Junior's eyes had made her trust him again; so when the door that separated her from the cold hard vaccum of space slid opened; she stuck her hand and feet claws into the metal floor.

She instantly closed her eyes tightly as the sudden rush of air tried to push her towards the coldness of space; she did not notice Q running through the wall to confront the colonials.

For at that moment; her body was sustaining serious damage.

First to go was her hearing; her eardrums ruptured due to the deafening roar of escaping air.

Next was her eye sight as tiny blood vessels in her eyes haemorrhaged.

Then her chest as the high external pressure caused her nigh-indestructible adamantium bond ribs to flex and bend inwards thus badly bruising and causing contusions on her lungs.

She was finding it increasingly impossible to breathe while experiencing the excruciating pain.

The skin on her arms and neck also sustained substantial burns due to the extreme friction of the rushing cold air.

Strangely enough; her intra-abdominal organs suffered the least damage.

She was so close to closing consciousness that she barely realized her claws had stopped her been sucked into the vastness of space.

She did not hear the door open; but as her mutant healing factor kicked in; her eardrums were the first to be repaired.

Then she heard Q's voice.

Her ribs struggled to realign themselves to their original positions but she was in so much pain; she struggled to pull her hands and feet claws from the metal floor. It took too much effort to breathe or even move.

She retracted the claws and tried to crawl slowly towards the familiar voice; it sounded safe. She barely felt the strong arms that dragged her out of the room and carried her. Then her head was on a solid warm object and she heard more voices.

That was when she surrendered completely to the darkness.

LXXI

Anders was heading towards the CIC via the main flight deck; it was the shortest route because he needed to be debriefed asap.

Then he heard voices shouting his name; he turned to see two men running towards him.

Newly promoted Captain Karl 'Helo' Agathon and Senior Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol.

Though different in looks and height; their expressions of worry were identical.

Behind them was a viper which Anders recognized as the one Karl usually flew; it seemed the two officers had been stationed on one of the other Colonial ships.

Anders' heart sank as he wondered how he was going to tell these men that their own wives were also missing.

"Anders; what's going on? Where Cally and Sharon ?" asked Galen as soon as he got close enough.

The ensign opened his mouth to tell them he had to get to the CIC; but the look on their faces made him say something else. "I...don't know...Kara is also missing."

The two men before him looked at him in shock.

"Missing?! They only went to collect algae! " said Karl surprise "what happened ?"  
Galen narrowed his eyes when Anders winced. "Was is cylons ? was this mission just more than 'collecting supplies'?"

When Anders didn't reply; the chief swore. He should have known.

Cally had seemed so anxious that morning when she was picked for the mission; she had hugged him so tight...almost like she was telling him goodbye for the last time.

"You need to tell us what happened; we have to go back and find..." started Karl anxiously.

"Ensign Samuel Anders?"

All three turned to see two solemn looking marines watching them.

"Your presence is requested by the Admiral."

Anders swallowed nervously and nodded. He looked at Galen and Karl before leaving. "I promise; I will see you guys later."

The two could only watch as he left escorted by the two marines.

LXXII

**The CIC...**

Anders was silent as he walked into the CIC; he was aware of several glances in his direction. The two teenagers he brought back had been seen by many in the flight bay; and in addition to the soldiers Q treated; people must be talking about them already.

He could bet in the next few minutes; the gossip would be fuelled by the airlock incident; even if all the marines present had been sworn to secrecy.

The colonial pilot was directed to a room within the CIC.

His eyes slightly widened when he saw who was present.

Laura Roslin, the president of the Colonies behind her was Tory Foster; her personal aide.

Beside the president was Tom Zarek, her VP, Admiral Adama and his son Commander Lee Adama, Lieutenant Junior Grade Felix Gaeta, who looked extremely nervous and most surprising of all was the XO, Saul Tigh.

Anders had prayed that after recent events he would not see the old alcoholic for a long time; he should have prayed harder.

The ensign stood ramrod straight. "Madam, Sirs, Ensign Anders as you requested."

The strong brown eyes of Admiral Adama looked at him for a few moments. "Have a seat ensign," he ordered in a soft gravelly voice.

"Yes sir," Anders pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Report," stated Laura simply.

The ensign looked at the Admiral first who nodded; then the pilot composed his features and began to brief them on what happened.

No one spoke as he related how they reached the planet to discover a strange ship in orbit; the arrival of the cylons, the race to get to the ruins, Starbuck's orders to separate the group and the ambush by the centurions.

They still kept silent when he mentioned meeting Q and Laura and heard where they were from and who they were looking for.

He paused for a few seconds; before describing how the two teenagers decimated the group of centurions; Starbuck's frantic incomplete warning about the orbital bombarbment and the thirteenth tribe .

And the race to leave the planet as nukes exploded around them.

He noticed the president winced slightly when he mentioned nukes.

Anders continued his narrative of how they fled to the solar system; the delay the two jumps caused before they reached the Galactica and the treatment Q and Laura gave to the injured.

Then he stopped talking.

There was silence for several moments as the Admiral looked at him.

"Ensign Anders; what happened when you communicated to the fleet on your return ?"

The ensign was aware of the glare in his direction from the XO; he took a deep breath before answering.

"I got a reply from the Executive Officer Colonel Saul Tigh; I was ordered to land the raptor then I received a second transmission from Commander Lee Adama to expect the XO and to prepare for the remainder of the fleet to jump.

On disembarking from the raptor; the XO was waiting with Vice President Zarek and I was ordered to bring the two teenagers for questioning. Ensign Bill Rogers accompanied me at my request."

Anders looked briefly at Saul Tigh who frowned at the last part of the sentence. Both knew Bill had just decided to tag along and thus got caught up in the following events.

"I was unaware of our final destination until the XO stopped infront of an airlock and commanded the marines to push the two teenagers into the airlock.

Ensign Rogers and I protested at the treatment; Rogers got his left arm busted and I got a gun put to my head while the XO questioned the teenagers before attempting to space them !" Anders had tried to keep his voice level and calm but he could feel his control on his anger slipping.

The Admiral's eyes narrowed he could see the effort it took the ensign to keep calm. "Anders, you have 5 seconds of silence."

The ensign nodded stiffly and looked at the surface of the table where his hands rested. When the count was up he looked up and continued in a calmer tone.

"The airlock was activated...then Q came through the wall," he saw and felt the disbelief on the faces of the Admiral, the President, Lee , Tory and Felix. They glanced at Saul and Zarek who both looked very uneasy.

"He disarmed 5 marines in less than 30 seconds and also took the XO hostage; before demanding we release Laura from the airlock."

He looked at each of them. " I complied with his demands.

At this point; Laura had been in the chamber for possibly just over a minute...she survived the experience. That was when Commander Adama showed up."

Silence reigned while everyone tried to understand what had just occurred.

"Why?"

Anders looked at the president. "Why what madame?" he asked respectively.

"Why bring them back to the Galactica?"

"They saved my life and the planet was been bombarded by the cylons; I could not leave them there."

She nodded. "They also said they were from Earth; however I hear the girl has 'surgically attached metal claws'. How do we know this is not some cylon trick?"

Anders could not help sighing in frustration. "Personally ma'am I don't think they are cylons."

"So now you're the expert in detecting cylons ?" asked Saul with a sneer.

The pilot's glare could have cut glass. "Q went through the wall like a ghost _sir!_ Then he disarmed 5 men and you without killing them _after _he took 3 bullets at point blank in the chest without _slowing down _! "

Anders turned his gaze on the others. "If you don't believe me; ask the marines; watch the surveillance cameras ma'am and sirs."

Laura looked ready to say something but the Admiral got there first.

"So that's your evidence of them not been cylons?"

"Sir...with all due respect; you were not there when Q used a small hand held weapon to blow up centurions or when Laura...used her claws to cut the centurions to pieces...or when they healed the crew with these," Anders removed the contents of his right left pocket.

Everyone including Saul leaned forward to look at the 3 sleek looking metallic and plastic objects.

"That's his hand held weapon and the others...can't recall their names but Q used these two to treat our wounded soldiers."

The Admiral fixed a deadly look on Anders. " You let them use these on our people."

Despite his convictions, Anders felt anxious under that look.

"Yes sir ; I did."

"I checked in on the wounded before coming here sir." Everyone's attention went to Commander Adama. " Dr Cottle stated they are doing very well...considering the injuries they sustained. He's still assessing them. The soldiers however have been telling anyone who will listen that they were healed by members of the Thirteenth Tribe."

The atmosphere changed with that statement.

"Fantastic! That story is going to spread like a wildfire," said Zarek with a scorn.

"We still need to limit its circulation," stated Laura.

_Good luck with that thought Anders._

"Where are the prisoners now? And are they secure?" asked the President.

"In one of the detention cells," replied Anders "as for been secure it will depend on Q...he can move through walls Ma'am."

She nodded though she clearly didn't believe what he said.

"However we need to examine the girl thoroughly," she turned to the Admiral "have Dr Cottle drug them both with ...maybe a gas and assess her risk; we may need to surgically remove the blades."

Anders looked at the President in horror; had she not been listening?

"That will be suicide Mrs President." Everyone looked at him.

"Ensign Anders..." began Commander Adama in a disapproving voice.

Anders ignored him. " Q went ballistic when she was been spaced; the only reason he backed down was when she was safe and with him. He refused to let any of us touch her even though she had been seriously injured; if you do this he will break out and only the Gods know what he is really capable of...for Kobol's sake he survived an airlock depressurization and been shot without any obvious damage; you think a sedative gas is going to affect him ?!"

"Ensign Anders; you will stand down," said Lee with a growl.

The viper pilot visibly tried to rein in his temper. "I apologise Mrs President for my attitude," he saw the people before him relax "but we need them to find our people, Lieutenant Thrace and the others," he continued stubbornly.

To his surprise he saw a small smile appear briefly on the Admiral's face while the others stared at him in frustration and annoyance.

"Your views will be taken into consideration."

The president turned a blank look onto the Admiral who glanced at her briefly before continuing. "Since you have interacted with them; you will also assist in obtaining information from them. Try and reason with Q about letting Dr Cottle treat her...I have never heard of anyone surviving extensive depressurization injuries. "

He watched Anders go pale.

"Sir; I doubt they trust me any longer sir," he refused to look at a stone faced Saul Tigh.

The Admiral nodded understandably. "Then you need to work on that...you may tell only Captain Agathon and Chief Tyrol what you know about their wives."

"What?" asked Zarek in disbelief. Adama ignored him.

"Leave the recovery of our people to us; prepare a more detailed report in the next 8hours and submit it to Commander Adama...also you have now been promoted to Junior Lieutenant. Dismissed."

Ander joined everyone in staring at the Admiral in shock. Though still stunned; his military training took over as he stood up; clicked his heels in salute and made to leave the room.

"Wait" called the President. The Admiral frowned at her.

"Congratulations are in...order Junior Lieutenant; however my PA Tory Foster will be assisting you in your interrogation of the prisoners. That will be all."

Anders looked nervously at Admiral Adama who nodded slowly.

"Yes, President," said the newly promoted officer before he left the room.

LXXIII

Everyone waited until the pilot left before questions started flying.

"Admiral Adama; are you insane ? He brought them here and you're leaving him in charge of the interrogation as well as promoting him !?" started Zadek.

"My ship, my command vice president, remember ?" replied Adama coldly.

"Apart from that; allowing him to tell Agathan and Tyrol about their wives is not acceptable," started Laura.

"So what do you propose ? That he lie? Those men are smart and will wait as long as we don't hide any information from them; we do that and we could have more problems," said Commander Adama.

"I still think those two are cylons," muttered Saul loudly.

The Admiral turned a blank look on his old friend. " All the cylons we have spaced; could not walk through walls; did not have retractable claws and did not survive an airlock been blown or 3 point blank shots to the chest.

These two are something else...I do not know what; but what if they are the Thirteenth Tribe?"

Laura stared at him in disbelief. "You are actually considering that?"

"They were on the planet as the scrolls said."

"Not in the temple," countered the president.

"Where Racetrack last saw Kara and the others heading before the bombarbment; what if the other members of the tribe were in the temple?" asked Commander Adama.

"Are you saying they have been there for the past 2000 years ?" asked Zarek with an incredulous tone in his voice.

"We don't know that...but from what Racetrack and Anders have said; the temple is probably destroyed; with whoever or _whatever_ was inside it," said the Admiral gravelly.

The effect of his grim announcement was stunned silence.

"So what happens now, sir?" asked Lieutenant Gaeta in a slightly nervous voice.

The Admiral stood up. " We continue; move on and widen the search," he turned to the President "Ma'am I have a raptor ready to take you and Zarek back to Colonial One. Commander Adama and Lieutenant Gaeta; update our jump co-ordinates , Ms Foster I guess you have other places to be.

Colonel Saul Tigh please stay behind."

Roslin looked at him uncertainly for a moment; she could tell he wanted them all except for Saul gone.

"Fine; I will contact you later," she walked out with a silent Tory and Zadek who gave the Admiral hard look. The other two officers were not far behind.

Adama waited for several moments before turning to his old friend.

"Saul; what the frak happened in that airlock."

The XO fixed his solitary eye on his commanding officer.

"I was trying to assess a threat sir..."

"Do not bullshit me Saul ! This is me Bill; your old friend. I asked you to watch over things not space everyone you suspected!"

Saul said nothing for a long time.

"Is this about the Circle Bill? Are you judging me for what those collaborators deserved?!"

"NO!" roared the Admiral ; then he counted to five to rein in his temper "you don't see it do you? I know all about the Circle and I am so glad it's over because what you were participating in was tantamount to a secret mutiny!

You put two strangers in an airlock! You may be right; they may be cylons, but what if they aren't? What if we end up in another war with another race!?"

The XO looked around. "Not if they don't find out."

The Admiral felt his lower jaw drop at the implications of the XO's words."If we go down that path; then we are no better than the cylons."

That statement finally got through to Saul ; his face twitched as he tried to control the reaction those words caused.

"Am I relieved from duty sir ?"

William Adama stared at his old friend. Nothing he was saying was getting through to him; he could already smell the alcohol on the XO's breath.

"No; you are not...Saul, you need to stop drinking. Ellen is dead; nothing can bring her back."

The XO blinked after a few seconds; his single eye red as he held back tears. "Bill ; I have nothing to live for."

Adama watched his old friend leave; there was nothing more he could say.

LXXIV

Q Junior was anxiously pacing up and down the cell as he waited for Laura to wake. When Anders led them into the cell; he had noticed her breathing was less laboured but she was so still. He had not yet looked at her face; he was so scared of the damage she had sustained.

For the umpteenth time he wished he had his Q powers so that he could turn the XO into toad!

Q had ignored the Ensign's apology because on drawing back Laura's long hair; he saw the skin around her eyes was rapidly repairing itself and the blisters that had formed on her face were almost gone. He had gasped in relief and joy.

Her mutant healing factor had saved her life. Now if she would only wake up.

"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor."

He stopped in mid-stride and saw she was awake and trying to sit up.

"Laura! You're awake!" his voice sounded so shrill and high that she gave him an odd look.

"Knock it down a couple of decibels; my new eardrums hurt and itch at the moment."

"Oops ! sorry," said Q in a lower voice as he walked up to her bed and leaned in close.

Laura froze. "What are you doing?"

"Unbelievable!" said Q junior in an awed voice as he took in the perfectly healed facial skin "You healed pretty fast ! I wasn't sure the outer door would get shut in time."

Laura's eyes narrowed as the memory came flooding back.

"Yeah about that," she said darkly "what the hell happened?"

Q Junior's face lost its smile and he sat down cross legged on the floor; he told her quickly what had happened after Saul Tigh tried to 'space' them.

Laura said nothing for a long time.

"You didn't let them examine me," she asked in a blank tone.

Q looked shocked. "Of cause not, I..."

"Good," she cut him off as she took in their surroundings. The room was roughly 10 feet by 12 feet; with two small cots; with thin mattresses and a toilet and sink at one end. The door appeared to be a sliding one with the upper part been transparent.

"_Thinking of breaking out ?"_

Laura whipped her head round to stare at Q Junior in surprise. He had just spoken in Japanese.

"_Yes. So you speak Japanese."_

"_As well as 230 other languages, so what's the plan?"_

Laura's eyes were widening with surprise.

"_You're actually encouraging me to break out?"_

The not-hologram features darkened._ "After what happened; I'm all for leaving this place."_

Laura was silent for a long time; her mind going over what had led to this place. Her refusal to listen to Q after she found out he had with-held a lot from her and the others had a lot to do with their present situation.

She knew if they had gone back to the shuttle; they might have found Logan and Jean and not ended up almost spaced.

She narrowed her eyes; she had gotten hurt because she had not been in possession of all the facts. That was going to change.

"_Laura; you okay?"_

"_Q...it's time we had that talk."_

His eyes widened._ "You want to know now...is this the right...?"_

"_Yes; it is, we are in this situation because we did not have all the facts."_

The other thing she did not want to tell him was that though she had healed; she was very tired. The first thing she had learnt while growing up in the weapons facility was that one must never show any sign of weakness.

Q stared at her for several moments.

"_Yes, I'll tell you everything."_

LXXV

In the observation booth attached to the cell; Lieutenant Ann Lackey sat up straighter when the two prisoners began to speak. Her specialty was languages and linguistics. She had got an emergency call to come down from CIC and observe the two new prisoners. She was to report to CAG Adama if anything remarkably odd was noticed.

She was curious as to what they had done; to her they looked liked civies. Probably they stole something; that was the most common crime in the fleet of refugees.

Then they began to speak in a different language. It sounded...very odd but graceful.

One thing was clear; she had no idea what they were saying.

LXXVI

Q looked at the floor for a long time as he tried to put in words what he was about to say. Eventually he looked up to face an expressionless Laura Kinney.

" _I am a member of the Q Continuum; we live in an extradimensional plane...which is inaccessible to anyone not of our race. We have the ability to manipulate; time; matter; space and energy...well I used to have that ability._

_The Q are not born; they simply exist...as they have done so since the 'Big Bang.' However I am one of only two Q who were 'born' since then."_

Laura raised an eyebrow. Q could not help but smile.

"_How like a Vulcan you look...anyway I digress. When I was born in 2373; it was to end the Q Civil war...I was to bring balance to the Force that connects us._

_Instead, I almost brought chaos. Once I was old enough to appreciate things around me; I...caused a lot of problems._

_I started a war on a planet between two large tribes who had been living in peace; I tampered with primodial gene pools and tore holes in the fabric of space and time and why did I do this?"_

He looked at her.

"_Because I was bored and because I could."_

Laura said nothing.

"_My own mother disowned me; the Q continuum issued an ultimatum...behave or we will turn you into an amoeba! My dad got desperate and took me to my human godmother, Captain Kathleen Janeway of the USS Voyager."_

The girl before him sat up straighter at the names mentioned; she could not hide her surprise.

"_Yes; a human Starfleet officer is my godmother...for she was the one who was instrumental in my being born. She reconciled my parents during the civil war and I was the result of that._

_She tried her best with me; even made me an Ensign in Stafleet._

_But I refused to conform so my father took away my abilities and made me completely human."_

Laura could hear the bitterness in his voice.

"_Without my powers I finally realized I was in a very precarious position so I decided to conform but by then it was too late. My father judged my progress inadequate and stated I was to remain human, a few steps above been an amoeba._

_I was devastated; but I pretended to carry on as usual then I panicked and stole a shuttle with the only friend I had made , Icheb on board. He kept telling me to turn back. I refused and warped to a section with a belligerent alien race; the Chokuzan who used a neural weapon on Icheb...it incapacitated him...he was dying._

_I fled back to Voyaer; but the Doctor could not devise a cure. My father appeared and he refused to help stating I needed to take responsibility for my actions; then he left._

_The captain and I went to Chokuzan to ask about the neural weapon so that we could study it and treat Icheb. They refused to help us until the adult responsible was punished._

_My godmother offered to take the punishment as she was responsible for the crew; I argued with her infront of the Chokuzan that I must bear the responsibility even if it was death._

_Then the Chokuzan disappeared and in their place was my dad...he had orchestrated the whole thing to teach me a lesson which he felt I had now learnt._

_With power comes responsibility; with actions come consequences._

_However ; it didn't end there; my father approached the Continuum with news of my progress; __**they**__ decided it was not sufficient and stated I was to remain human. My father bargained with them and I was eventually granted my powers._

Q looked at Laura. _"The bargain was eternal custody of myself to my parents."_

He took a deep breath.

"_Thus; everywhere my father goes; so did I. It was okay for a while; then 2 years ago we felt a huge shift in the lifesource."_

His eyes were very solemn.

"_When that happens; it means many lives have been terminated violently and suddenly and not by a natural disaster like a supernova or planet in the path of a black hole._

_My father went to investigate and we went back in time to see the destruction of the 12 Colonies; the deaths of 20 billion sentient beings."_

Laura felt her jaw drop. _"Why didn't you try to stop it?"_

Q shook his head wearily._"I asked my dad the same thing and he said...do you think we hadn't tried something before now? Three times we tried to intervene and three times we were ignored. They brought this on themselves."_

"_Naturally...I was curious and asked him to tell me more of the Colonies of Kobol. My dad took me to the past ; showed me their home planet; when they split and when they settled on the 12 colonies. We watched all this from afar."_

He looked around._ "Believe it or not; this is the first time I have been in a Battlestar."_

"_Anyway; I tried to find out what was happening with the survivors of the nuclear holocaust; they are roughly 40,000 plus in number. I think my father was aware of what I wanted to do._

_He started dropping hints stating that since an intervention had been tried three times; I could not help_ _directly_..._unless by_ _indirect means...helping a different group entirely."_

Laura caught on immediately._ "You mean us."_

Q looked sheepish as he answered._ "I went to your Earth...for you humans are very similar to the Colonials in temperment. However when I went through your recorded history I realized there were very few references to anything concerning the colonials apart from the Deities they worship._

_The Pantheon of Ancient Greece._

"_Hold on a sec! That's impossible! You're talking about..."_

Q's smile was without humour._ "The father of the Gods; his jealous wife; the son who had 12 tasks to do and so on and so forth._

_I would appreciate you not mentioning their names."_

Q tapped his right ear significantly; Laura simply nodded.

"_...anyway I looked through the years for other people who not only needed help but who could use the tools given them to help the survivors of the Colonies."_

"_So you chose us."_

He scratched the back of his head._"Well; I picked Jean and Logan first; they were in the middle of a battle...and about to kill each other."_

Laura felt her lower jaw drop as she started connecting the dots.

"_My dad saw you and asked if I would like to include you,"_Q turned beet red_ " so I did...and here we are."_

She stared at him for what seemed an eternity.

"_Okay."_

Q gaped at her._ "Okay!? Is that all you can say?"_ he looked worried _"you actually believe me? You're furious aren't you?"_

She tilted her head to one side. "_I believe you...and I'm not really angry...maybe a bit. Don't get me wrong; at first I was planning on tearing you apart for lying to me."_ She watched him swallow nervously.

He wisely kept silent; not bothering to state the obvious fact that she could not fight him.

"_But it looks like you were trying to help...not the best way to go about it...but the thought counts. If you are so powerful why didn't you bend time or whatever to get us out of this mess."_

Q began to look everywhere but her face. She had a sinking feeling that more bad news was to follow.

"_Q Junior!"_

"_I got into trouble again, one of the Qs: General Q was...upset I was allowed to carry out this intervention and reduced my abilities drastically...so now I'm just a hologram with a few unheard of powers."_

He demonstrated by phasing his hand through the metal floor.

Unbeknownst to them; this action made Lieutenant Lackey almost choke on water she was drinking.

"What the frak?" she grabbed the personal comms device "Lackey to CIC: please patch me to Commander Adama, priority one !"

Q continued talking.

"_Not only that...he said he put the radio transmitter on the planet so that the Xavier would detect it."_

Laura gave him a puzzled look. _"Why; if he's so against the intervention?"_

"_Time...he wants to speed up things so that I can get judged again. He does not intend to send you back to your time but he had stated he will do so if all of you want things to return as they are. That is as long as you make that decision before you get to Earth._

_He's not concerned about getting the Colonials to your Earth."_

"_That's the second time you have said that...your Earth... is there more than one?"_

Q gave her a wry look._ "In this dimension; there are two...yours and the Earth that was the home of the Thirteenth Tribe."_

Laura was getting more confused; the more Q told her the more questions that needed to be answered. The main question was how much did she believe?

"_I have one question..."_

Q laughed. "_Only one?"_ She glared at him which did not faze him in the slightest.

"_What...what would happen if we three decided to go back ?"_

The smile disappeared from his face; replaced by a solemn look which made Laura dread his answer.

"_You will be returned to the exact time and place you had been before; with no memory of what took place in this timeline."_

Memories of the experiments; the severe pain during the adamantium bonding; the humiliating punishments and the faces of all the people she had killed. Her mother and sensei were at the top of that long list.

"I'm not going back," she said in a whisper; for once sounding like a frightened child. Q Junior leaned in close and tentatively put his right hand over her left hand. "I will do my best to prevent that."

Then he moved away from her.

"_Anymore questions?" _he switched back to Japanese.

Laura was silent for a while before answering; when she looked at him. Gone was the indecision; now replaced by a determined expression.

"_I've got plenty; but I guess the best place to answer all this will be back on the Xavier."_

Q nodded silently.

"_What we have to do_ is...?"Her voice trailed off "_Jean_?"

"_**Laura; are you and Q okay?"**_

She felt her lower jaw drop._"How did you find us?"_ Q junior stared at her in surprise as Laura seemed to be talking to herself.

"_**I used the CMS...what's happened? You seem so ...tired."**_

Laura rapidly shut down the memories of the airlock incident; she had no idea how Jean or the Phoenix would react if they_ saw that._

"_A lot happened, but Q and I are okay; we're thinking of blowing this joint."_

"_**Don't! The cylons are somehow on your tail, stay where you are; it's safer."**_

Laura frowned._ " You know of the cylons?"_

"_**Yeah; on the planet we picked up a few Colonials who told us a little about them despite being... a bit difficult."**_

"_I wonder why," _thought Laura dryly _"so what's the plan ?"_

"_**We're coming for you, so stay cool; try not to kill anyone and look after each other. Send my regards to Q."**_

"_Fine; we'll wait."_ She felt Jean leave her mind. Laura turned to see Q looking at her with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"_Jean used the CMS didn't she?"_ Laura nodded.

His face broke into a smile._ " I knew it! They are okay."_

"_Change of plans; we're to stay cool; not kill anyone and to look out for each other...she also sends her regards to you."_

Q nodded._ "Well; if Saul Tigh comes in here; I might forget the second bit of advice."_

Laura grinned fiercely at him._ "You'll have to get in line bud."_

LXXVII

Lackey was still tapping her right foot nervously when the door opened and the CAG came in. She stood up quickly.

"Sir!"

"At ease; report."

She quickly told him what happened as a puzzled look appeared on his face. Lee stared at her for a few moments; then sniffed the contents of her mug. Lackey felt her face heat up but she said nothing.

Once he was satisfied that the fluid was_ only _water; he turned to the lieutenant.

"Rewind the recording."

"Yes sir," she did so until she got to the part when the impossible occurred.

"Stop!" ordered Lee; he had seen it as well.

She did as she was told and let it resume play.

There was stunned silence when the boy's hand went through the floor as if it was water; then remerged.

Lackey felt ill when she saw the blood drain from the CAG's face.

"Lieutenant Lackey." His voice sounded deadly serious.

"You are not to discuss this with anyone or approach the subjects; is that understood?"

She nodded rapidly; the CAG turned to go.

"Sir," he looked at her "what are they?"

Commander Lee was silent for a while. "Keep observing Lieutenant."

Lackey was left standing looking at the door long after it was shut.

**Hi everyone; the Olympics is really shaping up to be something else; hope you're all enjoying the moment. Have a nice week everyone !**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine

LXXVIII

Anders left the CIC; still dazed. He stood in the corridor for several moments trying to understand what had just happened.

He had been given charge of interrogating the prisoners and also promoted.

This had to be some sort of mad dream.

"Junior Lieutenant Anders." He turned to face President Roslin and Tory Foster.

"Ma'am, what can I do for you?"

"I am uneasy that you are in charge...but with Tory to help you; I'm sure you will not disappoint the Fleet."

Anders felt his face go still at the unspoken warning.

"I'll do my best ma'am."

She looked at the PA; then walked away leaving Tory with the pilot.

Both of them stared at each other for a while.

"Well? Shouldn't we get started?"

Anders turned away from the PA. " There's something I need to do first."

She did not hesitate to follow him. "Where are you going?"

"To the medical bay."

She frowned but wisely kept silent.

Anders was assailed by the 'hospital' smell that he hated; it did not take him long to find Billy; however he was surrounded by some familiar faces.

"Hey Anders ! What's going on? Buck is refusing to tell us anything !"

It was Ensign Sara Calter; the last time he saw her she had been lying still on a stretcher. Now she was bright eyed and pain free; having a rough splint attached to both legs.

"You okay Calter ?"

She grinned back at him. " Yeah ! Whatever that kid did worked wonders ! I gotta meet him; where is he ?"

"Yeah; where's Q and Laura?" asked Sergent Tyler who was standing beside the ensign.

Anders saw Billy give him a grave look.

"They...they are been briefed by the Admiral; I'm sure you will see them soon."

"Is it true?" Anders turned to see one of the female nurses looking at him with hope in her eyes. "You found the Thirteenth Tribe?"

Anders suddenly noticed the medical bay was silent and a lot of people were looking at him; patients and medical staff eagerly awaiting his answer.

"What are you all doing out of bed and not working?" bellowed a familiar voice.

Anders sighed with relief when Dr Cottle ordered everyone to get back to whatever they were doing; then the doctor turned to face the pilot.

"Are you also injured?"

"No sir; just wanted to check up on Billy."

"I'm okay," answered the Ensign "whereas the guy who did this is still asleep," he inclined his head towards where a marine lay unconscious.

Dr Cottle chuckled dryly. "I would love to meet the person who punched his lights out; come to think of it...Ensign Rogers you didn't tell me who did that?"

Billy looked at Anders.

"Doc...you'll have to take that up with the CAG," said Anders in a low voice that only the doctor could hear.

"Hmmm...well that will just have to wait; anyway Ensign Rogers here sustained an undisplaced fracture of the mid-shaft of both the left radius and ulna with no complications.

He will be able to fly again...in about 6 to 8 weeks..."

"What?" asked Billy in shock.

"Unless; someone is going to duplicate what was done to Ensign Calter's legs and to the injuries of everybody you brought back ?" asked the doc with a glint in his eyes as he looked at the 3 people before him.

No one answered.

"Let me guess; I have to talk to Commander Lee again."

Anders nodded.

The doctor sighed. "Fine, now if you two have no further business here ; get lost. Rogers has a splint waiting for him."

The two turned to leave.

"Are they okay?"

Billy's question stopped Anders in his tracks.

"I...I'm going to see them now."

The ECO stared at him; there was a fleeting expression of rage before his face assumed a blank look. "Tell me how it goes...if you can."

"Sure," said Anders before leaving.

Tory waited until they were out of the medical bay. "You didn't tell them of your promotion."

"It's didn't seem that important at the time."

"Ensign Buck seems pretty upset; I wonder if it's due to our visitors or because of the XO?"

Andes stopped walking and turned to face her. "I had no idea that you were also tasked with interrogating me as well."

Tory's eyes widened. "I was asking a simple question..."

"With you; nothing is ever simple," cut in Anders before walking off.

She was prevented from answering when she heard someone shout the pilot's name. Anders turned to see Galen Tyrol and Karl Agathon walking towards him with determined looks on their faces.

The pilot sighed inwardly; this time they would not take no for an answer.

If he was in their shoes; he wouldn't either.

LXXIX

The three men walked quickly to Galen and Cally's quarters; which was the closet; Tory tagged along.

"This is not what we are supposed to be doing," hissed the PA as she ran after the 3 colonial officers.

"You heard the Admiral; he ordered me to update the Chief and Captain Agathon about their wives," said Anders without looking at her.

"And you had to pick this time to tell them ?" asked Tory sharply.

Anders turned to glare at her.

"Miss Foster; if you wish to start interrogating without me present; please do so. Just remember that any threat to the girl will put Q on the war path," said Anders coldly.

"Wow, who is been interrogated and who is...Q?" asked Karl in a worried voice.

Tory looked up and down the corridor with alarm; there were quite a few people present. "This is not the place to talk and these two do not need to know!"

Anders looked at Galen; they had reached his quarters.

"Let's do this inside," said the Chief. Tory could be heard muttering expletives as she followed the three men into the quarters.

"Alright; what happened ?" asked Galen without wasting any time.

Anders stared at the engineer and the obviously anxious viper pilot before him; out of the corner of his eye he could see Tory sulking in the corner.

He had fought alongside the chief as they escaped from New Caprica; both of them had been heavily involved in the Resistance and the Chief had helped him pull himself together when Kara was taken from him and thrown into detention.

Karl Agathon had come for them after his wife, a cylon had risked her life to sneak onto New Caprica to initiate the first parts of the rescue.

He owned these men a lot; he had to tell them what was going on.

In short concise words; he described what had happened; right up to when the Admiral promoted him.

"Gods above Anders ! Are you trying to get yourself court-martialled!? You just got promoted!" yelled Tory.

Karl gave him a surprised look. " Promoted?"

"Oh yeah; Junior Lieutenant," said Anders dryly.

"Congratulations; but why would he...? That son of a bitch," said Galen softly. The other three looked up to see him shaking his head.

"What is it? " asked Karl.

"He gives you permission to tell us; then promotes you and also gives you the responsibility to speak to the two prisoners. This was a classic Adama Tactic.

You'll be so grateful you were not court-martialled and thus will concentrate completely on getting useful information from our guests which will prevent you from _**trying**_ to do something on your own."

"Like going back to the planet to look for Kara," finished off Anders with an angry look on his face. Even Tory looked thoughtful.

"I guess; that's why he's the Admiral," said Karl with reluctant admiration "but the question is what do we do now?"

The three men looked at Tory.

"What are you looking at me for?" asked the PA with a bit of anxiety in her voice.

"Tory's going to...assist me in the interrogation; I'll speak to the Admiral and ask if you two can be included."

Tory's jaw dropped. "You cannot be serious."

The other two men ignored her and concentrated on the viper pilot.

"Once there's a rescue op; we both want in," said Kyle. He was so sure there that there was going to be a rescue mission.

"Wait; you don't have all the facts; what makes you think our two guests are going to co-operate ? They could be cylons !" said Tory.

"I don't think they are," said Anders stubbornly "anyway; we better get going before anyone wonders where we are. Gentlemen; I would appreciate if you kept what I told you under wraps."

Karl nodded. "You don't have to tell us Anders; we know what is at risk."

A few minutes after Anders and Tory left; Galen turned to Karl.

"Do you think they...actually found the Thirteenth Tribe?"

The pilot sighed. "I don't know; I just pray they all get back in one piece."

Galen looked at the door. "Amen to that brother."

LXXX

Commander Lee Adama barely acknowledged the greetings passed his way as he hurried back to the CIC. Anyone watching him closely would have noticed the way he tightly clutched a mini-epad.

They would appreciate his anxiety; if they had seen what was on the small handheld laptop.

For it contained what had occurred in a certain airlock.

Due to the obvious fact that the _Galactica _was not networked. Different parts of the battlestar were independent from the main computers in the CIC; thus each airlock had its own individual video monitoring system.

This was essential especially in case of accidents or during maintenance work.

After seeing Q's hand sink into the floor; he had hurried to the airlock to check the video. To his relief; the repair crews were yet to turn it on to see what happened. He had demanded for the memory disk to their surprise and anxiety.

However; they had given it to him without asking a single question.

Lee had walked down the corridor as he slid the small disc into his handheld e-pad and pressed the play symbol.

He had stopped in his tracks when he witnessed Q Junior phase through the airlock blast doors ; throw well built and veteran marines about as if they were sacks of grain and get shot three times in the chest without going down.

The CAG swallowed hard. His father had to see this.

Yesterday.

LXXXI

Commander Lee got to his father's office quickly.

As he lifted his hand to knock; he realised there were raised voices coming from within. He recognised all three voices.

He knocked and was not surprised when no one acknowledged him.

What he had could not wait.

He opened the door and walked in to find the Admiral in the midst of a three way argument between President Roslin and Vice President Zarek.

The three fell quiet when they noticed he was in the room.

"President Roslin; Vice president. I thought you were on Colonial One."

Unbeknownst to the CAG; the two leaders of 12 colonies had each decided to confront the Admiral over his most recent decisions concerning the two prisoners.

The real reason for this was because both knew that the rest of the Quorum would hear of the airlock incident soon and _that _was bound to cause all sorts of problems.

"Well; we're not," stated Zarek sharply "leave us for we have a few things to discuss with the Admiral."

Lee narrowed his eyes at the tone of the ex-con.

"I'm afraid; what I have got cannot wait. Admiral; you need to see this," he pressed the play symbol and turned the monitor round so that the three people before him could watch.

There was silence as the short video played out; then Roslin gasped softly when Q went through the wall.

Admiral Adama lips were pressed in a straight line as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"We should try spacing them a second time."

Everyone stared at Zarek in shock.

"It may work the second time."

"You suggested it the first time to the XO didn't you?" stated Lee bluntly.

Zarek smiled coldly at him. " I didn't say a word."

"But you didn't try to stop Tigh either," pointed out Roslin.

"What can I say? Great minds think alike," added Zarek with smirk.

"No one is getting spaced," said Admiral Adama in a firm voice "where's Anders and Tory ?"

"I was at the detention block a few minutes ago; they had not got there yet," answered Lee.

The Admiral was silent for a few moments. "How's the girl ?"

Lee took a deep breath. "She's still alive...in fact; if I had not been there when she was pulled out; I wouldn't think she was the same person."

"What are you saying?" asked Roslin in worried voice.

"She looks...pretty well for someone who was almost spaced...too well."

All three stared at him; their expressions of alarm mirroring his own.

"I want to see them," said Roslin.

"No, that is too dangerous..."began Adama.

"I'm seeing them Bill, whether you like it or not," said Roslin as she walked out of the room. The three men quickly followed her.

LXXXII

_**Detention Block 22...**_

Anders watched the two teenagers through the glass in the observation booth as Tory questioned Lieutenant Lackey.

To his surprise; the girl looked well...in fact too well; apart from that the two young people did not look scared. Anders could always tell when someone was pretending...but these two looked like they were...waiting for something.

For what?

"So; you're just going to stare at them all day?"

Anders glanced at Tory. "What have you found out?"

"Apparently; they are speaking a language that Ann does not recognise; they could be planning our demise for all we know. Apart from that they haven't moved from their respective locations."

The pilot watched the two for a few more moments. "I'm going in to speak to them."

"Hold up ! I thought you said they were dangerous!" said Tory not noticing the scared look that appeared on Ann's face.

Anders left the booth and walked to the entrance to the cell. He nodded at the marines standing guard. " I need to speak to them."

Inside the cell; the two teens stopped talking when the doors slid open to reveal Anders and a pretty young woman with dressed in a dark purple shirt and a knee length slim black skirt.

Laura let the blanket hang loose and gently flexed her wrists.

Of the two; Anders seemed the typical soldier but her training and recent experience warned her not to take anyone for granted. She smiled inwardly with approval when Q stood up and leaned causally by leaning on the wall.

That's it Q; make them concentrate on you.

The two teens said nothing and kept staring at the two colonials.

Anders cleared his throat as he gazed at her in surprise. "Y...you look better Laura."

She tilted her head to one side. " I guess I have you and Q to thank for that...where's your XO?"

Something in her eyes made the viper pilot chose his words carefully. "He's been called on his actions."

Q folded his arms. "Really? An overdue appointment with a shooting squad perhaps ?" Anders stared at the young teen and could see he was deadly serious.

"Can you tell me where your people may have taken the colonials who landed on the planet?"

The two teens shifted their attention to the woman by Ander's.

"And you are?" asked Q.

"Tory Foster."

The two teens looked at each other. "No rank to follow that name," stated Q.

"Civilian," said Laura in a bland tone. This lack of interest caused Tory's eyes to narrow.

"Are you the Thirteenth Tribe?" asked Tory sharply.

In the observation booth; Lieutenant Lackey stared at the monitor in shock.

There was silence for a few moments; then Laura brought her two hands together and rested her chin on the semi-flexed knuckles.

"Who is the Thirteenth Tribe?" she asked softly.

Tory and Anders looked at each other in shock.

"B...but you said, you were from Earth, the home of the Thirteenth Tribe !" said Anders as his heart beat rapidly.

Lieutenant Lackey leaned forward straining to catch every word and thus failed to hear the door open behind her.

Laura stared at the two colonials before her for several seconds.

"Earth is our home; but it has never been described as the home of the Thirteenth Tribe; so I ask again; who the hell is the Thirteenth Tribe ?" she continued in a soft calm voice.

"Lieutenant Lackey."

The young officer shot out of her chair when she heard the voice behind her. She turned to face Admiral Adama; the CAG; the President and the Vice President.

"Admiral! Sirs, I'm sorry! I did not hear you come in!"

"At ease; Lieutenant and please turn up the volume," said Admiral Adama as he stared at the large monitor showing the smallish girl sitting cross-legged on the bed and the tall slim boy leaning casually on the wall.

He had no idea who was the most dangerous.

"You claim to be from Earth; yet know nothing of the Tribes of Kobol ?! " asked Tory incredulously.

"Then enlighten us," said Q with an intent look in his eyes.

Anders stared at him in surprise; he had no idea where to start. He was finding it hard to believe that the two before him had no idea of the Tribes of Kobol. Had so much been lost in the journey from Kobol to Earth that the descendents knew nothing of the Great Exodus ?

However, Tory had reached another conclusion.

"You're not from Earth; you're not the Thirteenth Tribe. You're cylons !"

Anders felt the temperature in the cell plummet when the expressions on the faces of the two teens went from calm and easy going to stone cold and deadly.

"Now, that was exactly what your XO said before trying to kill us," said Laura in a calm voice.

Oh frak thought Anders; we are so dead.

"Tory; not another word; we have to go," he stated quickly when he realized she was about to say something else.

She glared at him; unaware of the change in the attitude of the two teenagers before her.

"Get them out of there," ordered Admiral Adama. He had also been watching and had seen the change in the stance of the two teenagers. They were on the edge of a trigger and the wrong word or move could spell disaster for a lot of people.

Lee turned to go when the klaxons started blaring.

The four people in the cell froze as the noise started.

"What's going on ?" asked Tory anxiously.

Before anyone could say a word; they heard an announcement.

"_Red alert ! red alert! Cylons sighted ! This is not a drill!"_

Anders was watching the teenagers when the alarm went on and he was stunned to see the calm look change to an anxious one between the two teenagers.

Tory was the first to leave the cell, Anders turned to the teenagers. " You'll be much safer here; please do not leave!"

Then he ran off.

Laura looked at Q._ "Where the hell are they?"_

"_Give them time; they will be here soon."_

_**Basestar One, CIC...**_

"It worked," said Boomer with a smile as the _Galactica _grew bigger in the view screen.

"Indeed; my dear, now do not jam the communications. I want everyone on that pathetic fleet to hear this," ordered Cavil as his fleet of 2 basestars and approached the Colonials. He had sent the 3rd on back to the main base; after all two filled to the brim with raiders was more than enough.

"Any sighting of the _Xavier ?"_

"No," said D'Anna.

"Then where are they ?" asked a Leoben Conoy, a Number Two. Today all the cylons had a representative in the CIC; for this could be the moment they would get a path to Earth.

Simon O'Neill, a Number Four and Aaron Doral, a Number Five were monitoring the sensors with D'Anna.

"Maybe if we ask really nicely; we'll find them" suggested Caprica mockingly.

"Is this a joke to you?" snarled Cavil.

"Oh of cause not, dear leader. It was just a simple suggestion," said Caprica with an insincere smile.

Cavil took a few calming breathes and turned back to the transmitter before him.

"Start broadcasting."

_**The Galactica, CIC...**_

The Admiral , President and Vice president and Tory Foster ran to the CIC; while Lee and Anders went to organise the viper pilots for defending the fleet.

"How the frak did they find us?!" yelled Zarek " There has got to be a tracking device on one or both of our prisoners!"

"I'm beginning to agree with him," said Roslin as she tried to catch her breath.

"Ms President, Zarek; both of you should be on Colonial One and jumping out of here right now," Adama walked to the nearest console as Dualla ran up to him with the latest reports.

He was a little surprised to see Saul there; and he looked halfway sober. The admiral nodded at his old friend.

"Lieutenant report."

"2 basestars sir; they haven't started jamming the radio signals yet and no raiders have been launched either."

"The fleet?"

"Jump protocol initiated sir; half have already gone..." she looked at the president and vice president "including Colonial One; but a good number of the remaining ships cannot jump until their engines power up. We need approximately 15 minutes."

Adama stared at her. "How many?"

"81 ships; their fuel reserves are pretty low."

They had left New Caprica with only 163 ships.

"We're not leaving them behind," stated Roslin firmly.

"I agree..."began Adama.

"Sir! We're getting a transmission broadcast on all frequencies! It's coming from one of the basestars !" reported Gaeta worryingly.

Admiral Adama looked at the Lieutenant. "Put it on."

"_Hello Galactica; this is Cavil speaking. Now I know you have two members of the Thirteenth Tribe as your guests. Hand them and their ship over and I will not pursue your fleet. You have 3 minutes to decide."_

There were gasps of dismay and shock as Adama took a long deep breath.

"And if I don't hand them over ?"

There was silence for a long time.

"_So many of your ships haven't jumped yet. I count 81; how about I destroy one for every minute you make me wait ?"_

At that moment; Adama wished he could wring Cavil's neck.

"Launch vipers; we need to buy those ships as much time as..."

"DRADIS contact! " yelled Lieutenant Gaeta.

_**Detention block 22...**_

Q was talking to Laura in Japanese when she raised a hand; then smiled.

"Jean's here."

LXXXIII

_**20 minutes earlier, on board the Xavier...**_

Jean came out of her connection with Laura to see Logan standing and watching her with a worried look on his face.

Once he got back from the medical bay; the telepath had not wasted any moment in using the CMS.

"They're okay...but we need to get there quickly."

Logan frowned. "Has anything happened ?"

Jean sighed. "I...I don't know; I could tell Laura was hiding something from me..." she paused when she saw the look on Logan's face " and no I don't think she has killed anybody. I think something happened to both of them."

She started pressing symbols on the computer. "Xavier; I'm inputting the co-ordinates; how long will it take to get there."

"_26minutes and 23 seconds at warp 9 which will be reduced to 18 minutes and 45 seconds at max warp 9.4"_

"Then go faster," ordered Logan.

"_Yes Captain."_

"I'm going to check on our guests; can I bring them to the bridge?"

"What?! No way!" exclaimed Logan " I don't trust them...just keep them in the medbay until we get to their people."

"If you say so Captain; in the meantime they will need some food."

Logan snorted. "Good luck feeding them; I'll bet they'll think it's poisoned."

LXXXIV

_**Medical bay...**_

Sharon was staring at the floor while Kara discussed with the others on how to escape from the ship. She was not paying attention ; for her mind was on Hera.

Her dead daughter.

What if she wasn't dead? What if everyone lied to her and Karl ?

Several times now Hera's existence had been brought up; what was going on?

"Lieutenant Sharon 'Athena' Agathon, are you with us?" asked Kara loudly. Sharon brought herself back to reality.

"I'm sorry; I had ...a lot on my mind, nothing important."

Starbuck gave her an odd look. "Okayyy; if you say so...we need you to talk to the ship."

Sharon stared at her and the others. "Excuse me?"

"You know like when you helped us against the basestar? Could you kind of ...convince this one to let us go?" whispered Hotdog.

The cylon's eyes widened. "Are you are of your frakking minds?! This is not cylon technology. I doubt I can interact with it!"

"At least try," said Kara with a pleading look in her eyes.

Sharon maintained eye contact for several moments. "Fine...I'll try."

She stood up and looked around. " I...need some sort of interface...but we're behind a shield." She looked at the roof; too far away.

Then she turned her gaze on the floor. She knelt down and tried to find a panel but the floor was so smooth that she could barely make out the lines.

"_What are you doing?"_

All five jumped up at the calm electronic voice.

"Erh...just admiring the smooth floor," said Sharon in a high pitched voice. There was silence. " Eh...hello...Xavier ?"

"_Yes, can I help you ?"_

"Oh boy; that's just weird," said Cally.

For Sharon; she would describe it differently. She had been on basestars; this computer seemed more aware then the Hybrids which were the core of all basestars.

"Do you know what I am ?"

"_Yes; a highly advanced humanoid with cybernectic micro- components; a cylon who also wished to access the interface of this ship. That will not be possible as your program is not compatible with mine." _

Kara blinked in shock. "Wow...that's just not...right."

"Remarkable," whispered Sharon whilst ignoring the scared looks of her fellow colonials. "Why is my ...program not compatible?"

"_You lack authorization."_

Sharon laughed drily as she considered another line of attack. "But; I'm a ...robot...AI; like you."

"_You're 97.2 percent human...thus essentially human."_ Sharon was a little taken aback that a ship's computer had indirectly told her that they were nothing alike.

"Now this is freaking me out" muttered Nails.

"What of your captain and the doctor? Are they human too ?" asked Kara.

Cally stared at her in surprise. Did she think this computer would tell them the truth ?

"_The Captain and Dr Grey are as human as you are Lieutenant Thrace."_

"Did you detect the half –cylon child on the base star ?"

Kara stared at Sharon in dismay.

"_Dr Grey will be arriving here shortly. I will inform her that you asked."_

"No! Don't !" cried Kara but there was no reply. She turned to Sharon.

"Way to go Athena! What was that for?"

The cylon looked at her. " Someone has been lying to me about Hera. I know it and I intend to find out."

"Reality check sister; in case you haven't noticed we are prisoners on board a weird ship in the middle of frak-knows-where !

We need to get our priorities straight! Once we escape from here I promise I will help you search for the answers you are so desperate for !"

Sharon looked at her for a long time. "I will hold you to that promise."

"Whatever!"

The soft sliding of doors behind them revealed Dr Grey entering the lab; she was pushing a trolley which was laden with what looked like honest-to-Gods fruit; bread; cheese and clean clear water.

"I thought you may be hungry," she brought the trolley closer to the forcefield.

Kara eyed the food. "You expect us to eat that? You must know what I am thinking."

Jean sighed wearily. "How can I prove it's not poisoned?" She took a red apple and bit into it and ignored how they watched her every move.

"Well; that still doesn't prove anything...Sharon ! What the frak?!" started Cally as Sharon reached out ; grabbed a pear and started eating while keeping an eye on Jean.

Jean shook her head as the others stared at Sharon in shock.

"Have it your way people; soon we'll be with the Galactica and you can return home," the doctor turned to go.

"What do you know of the half-cylon child?" called out Sharon after swallowing the sweet fruit quickly. She ignored the sounds of protest from the other colonials.

Jean turned back to the 5 colonials. "Xavier informed me you were interested in a very young child we detected on board one of the basestars. A female child."

Sharon felt like passing back. "C...can we go back ? Please she may be my child."

"Athena don't!" warned Kara.

Jean looked at the cylon with sadness in her eyes. "I'm afraid...I did not search hard enough for all the facts of this child...we can't go back...we need to get our crew back."

"Then afterwards will you help us...help me please ?" pleaded Sharon as tears began to flow " she was our world!"

Jean opened her mouth to reply; but before she could say a word klaxons began to sound.

"_Red alert; we will exit from hyperspace in 45 seconds; cylon and colonial ships in the vicinity."_

"On my way," the doctor looked at them briefly and ran from the medical bay.

There was silence for several moments.

"Is this real?" asked Cally with anxiously.

Kara suddenly felt very nervous. "I don't know."

LXXXV

_**The Galactica , CIC...**_

"DRADIS contact!" yelled Gaeta.

"It's got to be more cylons," said Saul out loud.

"It's..." the Lieutenant Junior Grade's voice trailed off "I don't know what it is...wait I'm getting a transmission from Junior Lieutenant Anders."

Admiral nodded for it to be patched through.

"_Admiral it's them...I swear it's Q's people...the Thirteenth Tribe!"_

"That remains to be seen," muttered Zarek in the background " Gods help us if they prove to be cylons all this time."

Adama ignored him. "Anders; stay focused; don't get too close; we don't know who these people are."

"_But sir; they may have Kara..."_

"Junior Lieutenant," barked Adama " " I repeat stay focused; you can't help her if you're dead; can you?" Then a worrying thought crossed his mind.

"Where's Captain Agathon?"

Anders looked at the second viper flying beside him.

"_He's here sir...beside me."_

Adama resisted the strong urge to swear. "Don't do anything stupid."

"_Yes sir."_

Adama turned to Dualla "What are the basestars doing?"

"The foremost one has deployed small and heavy raiders...they are going for the new ship sir."

"Admiral; we're getting a transmission...from the new ship!"

Adama and Roslin shared a worrying look. "Let's hear it."

"_This is Captain Logan of the Xavier calling the Galactica; do you read ?"_ Adama raised his eyebrow at the calm slightly rough voice; he almost sounded caprican.

"This is Admiral Adama...which colony do you represent ?"

There was a sigh from the other side._ "Ah in case you haven't noticed Admiral; a full scale space battle is about to occur and..._ Adama frowned when the voice trailed off. It sounded like the captain was speaking to someone else in the background.

"_Hang on a sec Admiral..."_

LXXXVI

_**The Xavier, the Bridge; deck 1...**_

With the computer's warning still on his mind; Logan tried to prepare himself for what they would meet when they emerged from warp. He glanced at Jean where she sat at the comms. She looked a bit worried.

He tried to give her a reassuring smile then turned back to the viewscreen.

All too soon the view of streaking stars was replaced by a scene of many ships of various sizes.

Instantly he recognized the huge basestars ; this time there were only two.

Right in-front of them was a large group of ships of varying sizes. As he watched a good number started disappearing in flashes of light. To his surprise no one was shooting at each other.

Yet.

"Xavier; what can you tell me about the 'basestars'?"

"_Each are heavily armoured; have 220 turret launchers and carrying 864 raiders. There is no existence of shielding technology."_

"I see," Logan smiled grimly then looked at Jean " can you connect me to the _Galactica ?"_

Jean did so; then nodded at the captain.

"This is Captain Logan of the Xavier calling the Galactica; do you read ?"

A few seconds passed before there was a reply.

"_This is Admiral Adama...which colony do you represent ?"_

Logan glanced at Jean as he sighed. "Ah in case you haven't noticed Admiral; a full scale space battle is about to occur and..."

"_Captain; the lead-ship is hailing us as well as sending a viral attack load on the same frequency." _ Interrupted Xavier.

"He _really _wants the ship and us...intact," said Jean softly.

"Xavier; can you disable the package as well as enable us speak to the cylons ?" asked Logan.

"_The package has been disabled; you can now communicate with the cylons safely."_

"Thanks bud. This is Captain Logan of the Xavier..."

A harsh angry voice cut him off. "_I am Cavil; leader of the cylons ! You will surrender your ship and crew to the Cylon Nation. Resist and you will be destroyed along with the rest of the 12 Colonies!"_

Logan signalled to Jean to cut the transmission. "Get back the_ Galactica."_

LXXXVII

Adama didn't have long to wait to resume communication; however this time Captain Logan sounded well and truly ticked off.

"_I just spoke to a man called Cavil; who is demanding I hand over my ship and my crew to him; is he a friend of yours ?"_

Adama's frown deepened. "No."

"_Nice to know that. By the way; we've got some of your people._

_Lieutenant Starbuck; Lieutenant Agathon; a guy named Nails; Cally and Lieutenant Hotdog with us. I also know you've got two kids of ours; Laura and Q."_

How did they know? wondered the Admiral.

"Captain; this is not the ideal place for an exchange or discussion..." started the Admiral.

"_Yeah, don't I know it; anyway 'Cavil' has just issued an ultimatum...why haven't you gone to warp yet?"_

Adama was puzzled at the word 'warp.'

"Warp?"

"_You know...a form of faster-than-light travel?"_

"We do 'jumps' not 'warps'..."

"_Fine, fine; just do it already...this Cavil means business."_

Adama watched the on view screen as the strange ship came closer; it looked like something out of a holo-vid. He could clearly read the name of _Xavier _ on the side of it. However he was certain there was no way it could stand against a single basestar.

"We can't go," he found himself answering "we need the other ships to jump."

There was silence for several seconds as Captain Logan tried to make sense of what the Admiral had just said.

"_Oh shit! You're sitting ducks!"_

Once again Adama was puzzled by the reference but he got the idea.

"_Admiral; whatever you're planning on doing; start doing it. We'll keep Cavil busy ...just take care of mine and I will bring yours to you."_

As he watched; the strange ship swung right in a fast fluid move and headed straight for the 2 basestars and the dozens of heavy and light raiders. One of the heavy raiders fired first.; it seemed to hit the ship but it appeared undamaged.

"Is he...?" started Zarek unable to say the words.

Then from the front of the ship shot out multiple short bursts of white light which spread out and hit raiders left, right and centre.

Each one that was touched blew up at once.

"Yes; he's buying us time," said Adama as he watched the cylons battle the small ship. "Dualla how many more of our ships remaining ?"

"32 sir," answered the stunned lieutenant.

"Sir!" Adama turned to see Gaeta; the junior officer's face was pale.

"Two of our vipers went after the Xavier and the CAG has gone to bring them back !"

Adama knew who was in the first two before Gaeta told him.

Junior Lieutenant Anders and Captain Agathon.

If the cylons didn't kill them; he would do so himself.

LXXXVII

_**The Xavier, the Bridge...**_

Once Logan terminated the transmission to the _Galactica;_ he asked Jean to open up one to the cylons.

"Hey Cavil; I've got no fight with you. However; if you attack us; we will defend ourselves."

The reply came in the form of a barrage from the nearest cylon raider; Xavier's shield held.

"My turn," muttered Logan softly as he targeted the raiders and began to take them out with multiple phaser shots.

"_Captain; we're got 3 small ships which have come away from the immediate vicinity of the Galactica, they are hailing us."_

"Put them on speaker." ordered Logan as he tried to focus on his targeting.

"_This is Junior Lieutenant Anders and Captain Agathon...we wish to help."_

"_This is CAG Lee Adama! Anders and Agathon! You idiots will return to the fleet now!"_

Logan could not help but raise an eyebrow; fortunately that did not spoil his aim as he shot down another raider.

The doctor saved Logan from answering the hail."This is Dr Jean Grey of the Xavier...what's the problem ?"

The ship rocked a little when it got hit by multiple barrages from half a dozen surviving heavy raiders.

"_Commander Lee, our wives are on the Xavier; we're not going back until they are safe!" _

It was Jean's turn to raise an eyebrow at the angry yell. She had to do something before the three pilots got themselves killed.

"Anders; Agathon and Lee Adama.

Forgive me if I forget your ranks. We are in the middle of a firefight so for God's sake act professional."

There was stunned silence.

"_Yes ma'am"_ chorused the 3 males. The three viper pilots began to fly in formation and assisted in picking off smaller raiders.

Logan checked his sensors once more as he heard Jean instruct the ship to extend shields over the 3 vipers.

The number of raiders pouring out of the basestars was increasing his anxiety levels. "Xavier; shield status ?"

"_Shields at 98 percent and holding."_

"What are the most vulnerable parts of a basestar ?" asked Logan.

A holographic image of the miniature basestar suddenly appeared on the desk as the ship identified the main generators and weapon's array. The icing on the cake was the non-existence of shield.

Logan's finger hovered over the symbol for phase torpedoes.

"No!" yelled Jean "not that one...there's a child there. Go for the second one further away." Logan looked at her and nodded.

Jean's instincts had not been wrong so far.

He readjusted the targeting and fired off one photon torpedo.

LXXXVIII

_**Deck 2, The medical bay...**_

Kara felt the ship shake a little.

"What was that ?" asked concerned Nails.

Sharon looked at the ceiling. "Xavier; what's going on ?"

"_The cylons have fired on us."_

Everyone stared up in shock.

"Are you...is that true ?" asked Kara ; she found it hard to believe an AI would tell them the truth. Sharon on the other hand was terrified.

"What...please get the captain or Dr Grey! We can help !"

"_I'm afraid that is impossible; the captain and Dr Grey are otherwise occupied."_

"Doing what?" shrieked Cally.

"Defending the ship," they all turned to face Hotdog as the ship shook again "they are the only ones on the ship, aren't they ? We haven't seen any other crew," continued the pilot with a worried look on his face.

Kara felt her heart rate pick up. "Xavier...I need to know what your captain is facing...we know more about cylons than he does."

There was silence for a while.

"_I will relay your request to them, please wait."_

Kara wanted to tell it to hurry the frak up; but she controlled herself.

_**The Galactica, CIC...**_

"Sir; the _Xavier _ has fired what appears to be a ...missile towards the basestars!"

Everyone looked up at the monitor.

"Dee; how many ?" asked Adama; his mind still on the remaining ships and the 3 viper pilots with the strange ship. One of them his only surviving child.

"6 ships will be ready to jump in 3 minutes sir."

"Only one missile ? The raiders will sacrifice themselves for it..." Saul's voice trailed off when the missile dodged 8 raiders in quick succession and impacted into a particular section of the basestar. The fusion generators.

"Dear Gods in heaven," exclaimed the XO softly when the ignition started; in seconds there was a chain reaction that reached the stored nukes and armoury thus resulting in a spectacular explosion of the huge cylon warship.

The CIC erupted in cheers that were so loud that Dee had to yell to inform him that the last civilian ships had jumped.

"Everyone settle down !" roared Adama " we're still got one more basestar to deal with!"

The CIC quickly settled down as personnel moved about with a bounce in their steps; now confident that their brothers and sisters of the Thirteenth Tribe had found them.

And by the Gods they packed impressive firepower!

"Felix; get a line to the CAG and the other vipers with him; they are to return so that we can jump!" The junior lieutenant nodded.

LXXXIX

"Good Gods! Did you see that ?" yelled Anders when one of the basestars exploded.

"They just used one missile," said Karl in a stunned voice.

Before Lee could contribute to the conversation; he noticed something odd.

"Hold on guys; the remaining raiders are retreating rapidly."

XC

_**Basestar One, the CIC...**_

Cavil and the other humanoid cylons had watched in growing horror as the single missile from the strange ship got closer to them; then it changed course; dodging 8 heavy raiders in order to get to its intended target.

The second basestar which it somehow managed to destroy.

"Oh my God," muttered Caprica Six in horror as they watched the sister ship explode.

There was stunned silence for several moments.

"Cavil; you need to pull the raiders back to form a defensive ring around us !" advised a frantic looking D'anna.

Cavil ignored her; as he kept looking at the _Xavier _ with a stunned expression.

The Number Three turned to semi-liquid interface and input commands as rapidly as she could.

"Launch a nuclear strike against the _Xavier."_

D'anna looked at Aaron, a Number Five in shock.

"Not one of our missiles scratched it! And you want to nuke it when a basestar was destroyed by _just _one of their missiles!?"

Aaron glared at her. "Then I'll do it myself," he began to input the codes.

"You'll need a second person for that," said Caprica " and none of us are helping you."

The number five turned to the six with a murderous look on his face.

"I'll second the decision..." all looked at Cavil; he had a mad light in his eyes " nuke the bastards."

XCI

_A few minutes earlier..._

As Logan pressed the phase torpedo symbol; the ship's computer spoke.

"_Captain; Dr Grey...the guests wish to help with the cylons."_

Logan 's eyes narrowed. " They picked now to co-operate ? What the..."

"Xavier; transport them to the bridge," interrupted Jean "Logan; I promise I will keep an eye on them. Anything out of the ordinary and they are out for the count."

For a few seconds Logan glared at her; then he relented.

"Fine...bring them and if they try to take over the ship...send them to the brig," he turned back to continue shooting as the missile sped on it's way towards the second basestar.

"_Yes Captain."_

The next moment; five colums of light appeared which transformed into five very scared colonials in the middle of the bridge.

"Get seated and strapped in now," ordered Jean in an iron tone. Her voice and the fact that they could see two huge basestars and dozens of raiders on the viewscreen had them complying quickly without a word.

_**If any of you move out of line; you're all ending up in the brig; understood ?**_

As one; they turned to face a stern looking Dr Grey; for the first time all five believed without question that she had some sort of mind ability.

Especially when they had been surrounded by an odd light and deposited in what clearly looked to be another part of the ship.

And none of them cared for _another_ demonstration.

They turned back to the viewscreen.

"What is going on?" asked Kara tentatively as she took in the startling view. All could see the Galactica and a small number of colonial ships.

"The cylons want the ship and us," stated Logan as his hands flew over the controls.

"Who is targeting the raiders?" asked Hotdog "wait...did you send only one missile to..." his voice trailed off when it hit the basestar and the ship exploded.

The five colonials were stuck speechless by the sight.

"_Sir; one of the colonial pilots is hailing us."_

Jean was keeping a close eye on the colonials and saw four of them flinch at the voice; only Sharon looked calm and curious. Strangely enough; none of them had thoughts of taking over the ship.

Yet.

"_Captain Logan, something is happening, the raiders are pulling back."_

Kara straightened up when she heard that voice. "Longshot! What the frak are you doing ? Where are you ?"

"_Kara! Is that you? Are you okay?"_

Logan's glare had her shutting up. "People; let's focus on the main issue here. Mr Anders; the raiders pulling back means what exactly ?"

"Oh no," muttered Jean in horror.

Everyone looked at her as Xavier spoke again.

"_Energy build up detected on the weapons array; radiation levels rising. Nukes will be deployed in 95.9 seconds...target is this ship."_

"He's right!" agreed the telepath.

"Anders, tell the Admiral to jump now. You flyboys can stick with us as we go to warp."

"_But you have superior weapons !"_

"No can do flyboy; there's a child on that basestar," replied Logan firmly.

Kara saw Sharon swing her head towards the solitary cylon warship.

Jean looked up at the ceiling. "Xavier; attach tractor beams to the 3 vipers. Adama, Anders , Agathon," Sharon turned to look at her in surprise "please do not be alarmed we are attaching you to us for your own safety.

XCII

_**The Galactica, the CIC...**_

"Sir!" Adama turned to face one of the colonial officers " we've detected energy build up in the weapons' array of the cylons," his pale face told the Admiral all he needed to know.

"They are deploying their nukes."

"_Galactica come in! We have solid confirmation the cylons will use nukes; jump now. I repeat jump now. You have only 45 seconds."_

Adama looked at the screen as Anders' announcement put the CIC into a state of panic. Meanwhile; the _Xavier _ was turning away from the basestar as if trying to put some distance away from it. The three vipers went with it.

The much smaller ship was not going to make it.

_**Admiral; you must go now, we will keep them safe and we will find you.**_

_**This; I promise.**_

The strange soft feminine voice left his mind.

"Jump the fleet."

Gaeta took one look at the old warrior's face and did as he was told.

As the Colonial Battlestar jumped ; Adama thought he saw the Xavier and three vipers disappear in streaks of white light.

This happened at the same time the basestar released its nukes; they never reached their intended target for it was no where to be found.

**Hi everyone; sorry for the wait; this week has been hectic and I am going to stop using roman letters to divide the sections. What should I use ?**

**Please read and review and have a great weekend people!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine.

_**The Galactica, Medical Bay A...**_

_**15 minutes earlier...**_

Ensign Rogers had just taken his first painkiller when the alarms started. Anyone who was able bodied ran from the medical bay while the viper pilot cursed his bad luck in getting a broken arm.

Then everyone heard the demands of all cylons broadcast on all frequencies.

Hardened soldiers had cried aloud in alarm; but Rogers grabbed his service pistol and took off at a run for detention block 22.

He was a native of Tauron and had watched his home planet destroyed from orbit.

When he heard about Earth; he had prayed everyday to the Lords of Kobol that he would live to see that utopia.

Then he had been stuck on New Caprica; and the dream and hope faded when the cylons occupied their new home.

Hope had lain dormant despite the dramatic rescue; but only flared into life when he saw the two healthy looking teens that ran after Anders as they escaped from a planet which they were supposed to have been checking for edible algae.

Hope had almost died when the insane drunk XO almost killed the two children of the Thirteenth Tribe and hope had still survived even when he saw the claws of the girl called Laura and the abilities Q possessed.

Rogers did not know why he did not fear them.

Maybe it was because of the strong instinct that had made him follow Anders and the teens when Saul took them away; the instinct which warned him that the XO was hiding something.

The same instinct which had screamed that the two teens were really from Earth.

Rogers had to stop running when he faced 8 heavily armed and anxious marines in front of the detention cell.

"Rogers; what the frak is going on?"

"Not sure; but the cylons are here...we have to protect the prisoners."

Corporal Marlen stared at the ensign. "Who the frak put you in charge? Shouldn't you be in a viper..."His voice trailed off when Rogers showed his bandaged left arm.

"Can I talk to them?"

Marlen shook his head firmly. " No can do Ensign; Junior Lieutenant Anders is in charge here. Speak to the Admiral or to Anders; then you can speak to them."

The Ensign hid his surprise at Anders' new rank as he tried to find a way around the marines.

In the end; he gave up as he realized an argument would get him nowhere.

"Okay...can I wait then? In case you need an extra gun?"

The marine looked at his fellow colleagues. The looks of horror on their faces were identical. If centurions boarded the Galactica to get to the two prisoners; they were going to need every man and woman to defend this area.

Their respect for the young ensign before them grew. "I guess it can't hurt."

_**The Basestar; the CIC...**_

Caprica watched with her heart in her mouth as the _Xavier _turned away from the basestar; a part of her marvelled at the way the three vipers moved with it; as if attached while the other part of her was praying for them to go faster.

She was yet to see any ship of that small size withstand a multiple nuke strike.

The number six looked back at her fellow cylons. The command to release nukes had been implemented 40 seconds ago. The strange ship barely had any time to jump.

"_Nuclear missiles released."_

As she continued to watch; she noticed the Galactica jump; then before the nukes reached their intended target; the Xavier disappeared in streaks of white light. She heard the others swear; while she closed her eyes briefly and sent a thankful prayer to the One God.

Then she turned to face Cavil and Aaron.

She wished she had a gun so that she could give each of them a third eye.

"We have to go after them; they cannot go unpunished..." began Aaron.

"We will do nothing without a vote!" yelled Caprica. Everyone looked at her.

"My fellow cylons; we have just frakked up royally by declaring hostilies against an _obviously_ advanced _human_ tribe ! It's a miracle they did not decide to nuke this basestar as well or else we would all be downloaded at this moment," she turned a murderous look on Cavil and Aaron " not to mention that the first half-cylon hybrid in the history of our race would also be dead as well!"

Silence greeted her words and even Aaron looked shocked at what he had almost caused. Only Cavil continued to glare at her; everyone knew his opinion on the half-cylon child.

"I am the leader of the cylons; you will..."

"Vote on our next line of a action," cut in Boomer; everyone looked at her in surprise; they all knew she was always the first person to back him on any action . The Number One looked at her with an expression of betrayal on his face.

"I agree," stated Leoben "this encounter...has shown we cannot rush in without more facts; because where there is one ship such as that; there will _certainly be more of their kind."_

Caprica saw most of the cylons swallow nervously when they thought of fighting a fleet of ships like the Xavier.

"So what do we do? Twiddle our thumbs until someone has a bright idea?" asked Cavil harshly.

Leoben looked at him. " We go back to base and come up with a well thought out plan...hopefully they will never find the tracking devices but going after them now would be suicide.

Please indicate 'aye' or 'nay' for this plan."

At the end of the vote; everyone except Cavil agreed that a retreat to the main cylon base was needed in order to prepare for the next encounter.

The Number One glared at each of them; as if imprinting their expressions on his face; then he walked away.

_**The Xavier; the bridge, deck 1...**_

Logan released a sigh of relief when the view-screen changed to the now familiar view of stars streaking by.

"Xavier; damage report and status of the colonial crafts we picked up."

"_Shield strength back to maximum strength; tractor beams are holding and the colonial ships have not sustained any damage."_

The captain nodded; then turned to look at the 5 colonials on the bridge. They were busy staring at the screen.

"What is...that ?" asked Cally in awe.

"Those lines of white light are the stars we're passing by; we currently using the warp drive," said Jean.

"Un-huh," said Kara who was now looking around. She had no idea what the doctor had just said; but already she could see the military implications of the _Xavier. _ Imagine what a dozen of these would do to the entire cylon fleet.

A discreet cough from behind made her turn to see Jean staring at her with her chin cupped in her left hand; while the fingers of the right hand drummed on the console in-front of her.

Kara did not have to be a mind reader to know that the female doctor was closely watching them. She swallowed nervously.

"You're got a pretty impressive ship."

Jean did not say a word. Kara had to remind herself not to think of anything that would land her and the others in the brig. She did not want to experience that strange light again.

That had scared the living daylights out of her.

"_Captain; the pilots of the colonials ships wish to communicate."_

"Put them on."

"_This is Commander Lee Adama...may I speak to Captain Logan ?"_

"Speaking," answered Logan.

In his viper; Lee looked at the sleek lines of the strange ship beside him. He could clearly see the name, _Xavier _written on its side.

"_What happens now?"_

Logan smiled dryly. A guy who got straight to the point.

"We head for your fleet...don't worry we already know where to go."

Kara turned to him. "How is that possible ?"

"Our crew is still with the Galactica; where ever it goes; we will follow," answered Jean.

"Tracking devices? You put that in your crew ?" asked Nails incredulously.

The captain gave him a thoughtful look. "Not really; we just...know how to look for them. You don't need to know how because it's '_classified'," _continued Logan as if he could read the marine's thoughts.

He definitely was not going to tell the colonials that Jean had collected more than two co-ordinates from the mind of the officers in the CIC by using the CMS.

"Captain; we have to go back." Everyone looked at Sharon.

Oh Gods, not now thought Kara; she knew what the cylon was about to say.

"We have to go back and search the remaining basestar for the child you detected."

Logan leaned back in his seat as he folded his arms. Everybody else looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Consider the facts... I _hardly know_ you colonials and you have not actually been _forthcoming_ on any useful intel on the cylons.

So; why the hell would I think of going back to that basestar?"

Sharon looked at him steadily. "Because; she's my daughter."

**The CAG's viper...**

Lee heard her quite clearly and swore softly under his breath. Had Sharon gone insane ? He quickly opened up another line to Karl.

"Helo; you better speak to Sharon at once."

"_Why ? What's wrong?" _asked a worried Helo; he had been just about to hail the _Xavier _ before Lee called him.

"She thinks Hera is still alive."

**The Xavier; the bridge...**

"I hate to say this but...how sure are you about that? Maybe the child's parents are on that basestar we _ran_ away from," said Logan.

Sharon's face assumed a desperate expression. "I know what I'm saying. For decades the cylons tried so many times to reproduce. It didn't work...even when we tried with humans...until Hera. I know it's her. Please we have to go back."

Logan opened his mouth to reply; but another voice beat him to it.

"_Sharon baby; it's me Helo, you okay ?"_

The cylon tried to hold back her tears. "Helo; they have our baby; we need to go back!"

In his viper; Helo felt tears fill his eyes as well. He tried to hold his composure as he replied.

"_Sharon...she's gone. She died the day she was born...we both buried her. You have to let go...please."_

Cally felt moisture in her own eyes as she watched the cylon break down; Nails and Longshot looked away embarrassed while Kara and Jean kept staring at Sharon with concern in their eyes.

But Sharon was not ready to drop the topic.

"What if...they lied to us?"

"_The Admiral would never lie to us, Sharon,"_ said Helo gently.

Logan raised an eyebrow at that; he was yet to meet any military man he trusted.

"The question is what would he or anyone gain by lying to you ?" said Logan out loud. Everyone looked at him; even the mousy specialist looked outraged at the question.

"Because; everyone saw a half cylon child as a danger to the whole fleet! Even President Roslin suggested I have an early abortion before we realised our unborn child's serum could save her life!" hissed Sharon.

No! We need to go back..." she turned to the captain of the Xavier.

"We can't Lieutenant," he saw the desperate look in her eyes "listen to me...you may not believe me...but I have been where you are now.

I lost someone...I thought she was dead, then...then I found her but I rushed in without getting all the facts; tried to save her...and lost her again." He felt Jean's eyes on him.

"So what do I do now?" asked a forlorn Sharon.

"Simple. Return to the fleet; ask questions and get answers," said Logan with a glint in his eyes.

Sharon looked at him for a long time; then wiped her tears and nodded with a determined light in her eyes. "Thank you Captain."

"Don't mention it," said Logan; he looked a bit uncomfortable. As if he had said too much. He turned to see Jean was still watching him.

In his viper; Helo stared at the ship. He was finding it difficult to find the words to say. 100 percent of him was sure Hera was dead ...but Sharon and Logan's words were reverberating in his head.

What if they had lied to them ?

His mind came back to the present when he heard Ander's voice.

"_Eh...this is all very ...em interesting. Can I speak to Kara now ?"_

His wife rolled her eyes. "Longshot; I'm fine. We are all fine," then a thought crossed her mind " is Galen with you ?"

Cally looked at her in horror.

"_No! The last time I saw him he was running to the engine room of the Galactica as we scrambled for the vipers."_

Cally was partly relieved that he was not crazy enough to have jumped into a viper and partly disappointed that he had not done so.

"_Okay; back to what I was asking earlier; what's our ETA with the fleet ?"_ cut in Lee.

In his viper; Anders glared out of his side window at the CAG who he could see flying beside him. The senior officer looked up and returned a similar expression.

Lee was going to have some hard words with both officers when they got back to the fleet.

On the bridge; Logan inclined his head towards the ceiling.

"Xavier; you heard the man; what's the ETA?"

"_7 minutes and 34 seconds."_

Lee frowned. "That is pretty accurate...who's that?"

"He's the ship's AI," Logan waited when silence followed his answer "you've got a problem with that?"

Lee suddenly saw the strange ship beside him as something that was tremendously dangerous.

The thought of an AI on such an advanced spacecraft was filling him with trepidation.

"_Lee; whatever you're thinking of doing...don't!"_

The CAG froze at Ander's warning and looked down to see that his finger had been creeping towards the red button that would release a nuke.

"_Captain Logan and Jean did not have to save Kara and the others on that planet...but they did; and they did not have to buy the Galactica and the rest of the fleet time by taking on the cylons...so what kind of people will we be if we attack them now?"_

Lee suddenly realized he was frozen while his mind screamed he had to destroy the ship.

"_Anders is right Lee...also our people are on that ship; if I notice a slight energy build-up on your fighter I will shoot you down,"_ said Helo in a deadly calm voice.

Suddenly he could move again; and the CAG pulled his hand back; he looked behind him. Helo's viper was right behind his. "You...you would really do that?"

"_In a heartbeat sir,"_ replied Helo in the same calm voice.

Something in the pilot's expression implied that he was not bluffing.

"Fine...I will keep the peace."

"_Glad to hear it bud...however for my peace of mind; I will be keeping a very close eye on your ship,"_ said Logan grimly.

Unbeknownst to the colonials; he had put a transporter lock on Lee, Anders and Agathon. He did not trust them as far as he could throw them.

He looked at Jean.

**You didn't pick that up** **?**

She smiled serenely back at him.** "Oh I did dear; who do you think froze this hand ?"**

Logan felt a peculiar feeling in his heart at the word 'dear' but tried to hide his surprise but he knew Jean saw right through him.

Kara was watching them with her heart beating rapidly; when Lee had fallen silent she had known he was about to do something stupid.

Like nuke all of them to Hades.

Right now she felt insane gratitude towards Helo and Anders who had managed to talk him out of it and at the same time she wanted to punch Lee's lights out.

What the frak had he been thinking?

The expressions on the faces of the other colonials on the bridge seemed to mirror her thoughts.

Looking at Jean she could see the doctor was not surprised at Lee's words; so why hadn't she acted?

Then Jean turned to look at her and quickly winked.

That startled the viper pilot; maybe the strange doctor had already done something.

"Alright people," Logan's voice brought Kara back to the present " strap in; we'll be with the fleet in..." he looked at the countdown on his console "2.45 minutes."

_**The Galactica, the CIC...**_

Admiral Adama steadied himself as they came out of the jump.

"Gaeta; status report!"

"DRADIS shows all the 163 colonial ships accounted for sir...reports from engineering ...we can't jump for the next 45 minutes."

Adama nodded grimly. "Find out which ships were low on fuel; and get some to them. The next time we jump it has to be together."

The Junior Lieutenant nodded before leaving to carry out the order.

Adama turned to face Roslin , Zarek and Saul. "CIC meeting room now."

No one said a word as they followed him into the meeting room. He didn't even object when Tory tagged along.

The door was barely closed before Roslin started talking.

"We need to go back!"

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"What! We just escaped from the Cylons...?" started Zarek

"Which is why we need to send fighter ships back...if that is the Thirteenth Tribe and the co-ordinates of Earth are gotten by the cylons...then all hope is lost."

"So...we're going back to rescue them?" asked Tory.

Roslin's face seemed to age visibly as she replied. " No; we need to destroy the Xavier before it falls into the hands of the cylons."

There was silence before the shouting began anew.

Admiral let it wash over him and he stared at the President. "And what makes you think that's the only ship of its kind out there, Ms President?"

Everyone shut up and looked at him.

"There could be dozens of that class of ship; _ in contact with _one another.

Even if we had a snow ball's chance in Hades of destroying it; where will that leave us with? Especially when they inform their command on who attacked them?!

We and the cylons will _then _be at war with Earth!"

His words were met with dead silence. Saul looked away remembering when he had suggested killing the two teens in lock up.

"The 13th Tribe that we have been trying to find...and you wish to start a war with them?" asked Adama quietly a second time. Roslin wisely kept silent but could not maintain eye contact.

The Admiral sighed. "I will talk to the teenagers...maybe they have a...certain way of communicating with them..." he never got to finish his sentence as the loudspeakers in his office blared to life.

"_DRADIS contact!...Ship of unknown origin...with 3 colonial vipers!"_

"They found us," muttered Adama to no one in particular as he raced from the room.

The CIC was buzzing with excitement and hope. Knowing the way gossip spread; Adama was sure the presence of the 13th Tribe had been transmitted to the rest of the colonial fleet.

However Adama had not survived so long by not been cautious and very paranoid.

"How long until we can jump ?"

Gaeta looked at him in surprise. "Em...39 minutes sir...but why?"

"Prepare for emergency jump...just in case Felix; just in case. Has there been any communication from the vipers ?"

Dualla who was anxiously keeping an eye on the radio transmitters began to shake her head when the radio came to life.

"_Galactica Actual come in,"_ the crew in the CIC were ready to cheer at the sound of the CAG's voice but a loud cough from an irate looking Adama made every one pretend to concentrate on their work while really concentrating on what was about to take place.

"Commander Adama; what is your situation over ?"

There was silence for a few seconds.

"_Captain Agathon and Junior Lieutenant Anders are with me and...the Xavier and its crew wish to exchange our officers for their crew."_

Adama frowned as there were confused murmurs around them.

The Admiral felt Lee was been very careful about what he was saying and that meant he was either under duress ...or the something had gone wrong during the jump.

"Lee; is there anything we need to do?" asked Adama bluntly. He ignored the surprised and alarmed looks that came his way.

The CAG looked at the ship beside him; once they came out of 'warp' as the captain had described it; he and the other viper pilots suddenly realized they were free to move away from the ship.

"_No yet sir; situation is almost secure; however Captain Logan wishes to speak to you."_

Adama felt his unease increase; Lee had just indirectly told him that they had to treat the Captain with extreme caution. But why ?

"_Sir! We are fine...that is what Commander Adama is trying to say !"_

Adama and Saul shared a look at Anders' irritated voice. Though annoyed with Anders for interrupting a senior officer; his statement had his levels of anxiety going down a bit.

Anders was a rebel and would not back down from a fight; if Kara was in danger he would be the first person to fire a shot or at least warn the fleet.

"_Anders! You will stand down..."_ started Lee angrily.

Then another voice; relaxed, rough and heavy with sarcasm interrupted the argument.

"_As much as it amuses me to listen to two grown men act like a pair of spoilt school boys; I must admit that neither of us have time for this._

_So pardon me while I interrupt and discuss with Admiral Adama. Feel free to listen in."_

"Captain Logan?" asked Adama.

"_Yeah...one and the same. Dr Grey and I will be coming in a small shuttle with your crew; I would appreciate it if you have my daughter and the other crew member ready for departure."_

Adama felt the blood drain from his face at the word 'daughter.' He felt Saul look at him with horror on his face. While Roslin clung onto a nearby seat for support. Zarek started swearing softly under his breath.

The Admiral was finding it hard to answer.

"_Admiral Adama...is there a problem?"_

Adama noticed the change from easy going to sharp and alert. The captain knew something was wrong. The admiral quickly found the words to say.

"We will meet you in the main fighter bay and...your crew is well.

Please follow the 3 vipers into the bay."

There was silence for several moments.

"_Admiral; we'll be there as soon as we can."_

Then Adama realized what he had to do; he started giving new orders to a stunned and dismayed crew.

**The Xavier; the Bridge...**

Aboard the _Xavier;_ Logan looked at the console with a dark look on his face. He didn't need Jean to tell him that something was seriously wrong.

He looked up to see Jean and the colonials watching him. They had all heard the same thing.

The doctor seemed worried and a bit distracted; Kara and the others looked scared to death; especially Sharon.

He waited for Jean to speak to him telepathically; but there was silence.

"Admiral ; we'll be there as soon as we can."

He turned to the colonials. "Jean will transport you to the shuttle bay."

"With the light ?" asked Cally anxiously.

He sighed. "Yes; it will not hurt; but I cannot let you see the rest of the ship."

Kara nodded; that made a lot of sense. "I guess we have to trust you then?"

"Jean gave her word that you will not be harmed and I intend to follow it to the letter," he looked at the ceiling.

"Xavier please transport our guests and Dr Grey to the shuttle bay, prep the Delta Flyer Beta. I will be along shortly."

"_Yes Captain."_

"Wait," said Jean softly; she looked at Logan with worried eyes; this time she mind spoke.

"**I...be on your guard...I'm very afraid to look...I don't want the Phoenix mad. Laura says she's fine...but she's hiding something."**

Logan's eyes narrowed. Something was_ really _wrong.

Ignoring the anxious eyes of the colonials; he nodded slightly. "I promise; I won't be long."

She looked at him once more; then nodded. "Xavier; beam us to the shuttle bay."

Once they were gone; Logan quickly asked the ship to locate Laura and Q Junior; by using her adamantium and the hologram's mobile emitter

"_The sensors are having difficulty pinpointing the location of Laura and Q due to the recent activation of jamming frequencies from the bridge of the Galactica."_

Logan's lips were set in a thin line. "How recently was the activation?"

"_92 seconds ago."_

The captain resisted the urge to swear. "Can you deactivate the jamming frequency or work around it ?"

"_Unable to undertake this activity without the input and assistance of Q Junior."_

"Who just happens to be a hostage on the Galactica, brilliant!" growled Logan.

Logan finally ordered the ship to maintain a full shield and allow access to the ship to only him, Jean, Laura and Q Junior.

Then with a firm resolve he left the bridge.

_**Shuttle bay...**_

Jean materialized first before the colonials; they all had their eyes widely shut and only peeked out when they realized they were back on a solid floor.

"See? You made it in one piece; let's wait for the captain while Xavier retrieves your weapons."

Before anyone could say a word; there was a flash of light and the weapons of the five colonials appeared in a heap before them. They looked at her in surprise.

"You may put them on...I can always put you asleep if I had too," she warned them in a calm detached voice.

That unnerved them even more; when they first met Jean she had seemed the friendly of the two; always trying to put them at ease even when warning them.

But; right now Jean was not concerned about their feelings.

There had been something in the Admiral's voice when he last spoke. Like a man about to face a firing squad.

Something had happened while Laura and Q Junior had been with them. Her only reassurance was that she knew they were okay as she had informed Laura that they had arrived and the teen had seemed eager to leave.

The Phoenix wanted to know and was getting very restless; Jean was hoping and praying that the restlessness did not turn to blinding rage.

They small group did not have long to wait; as Logan walked into the shuttle bay. He took one dark look at their weapons then glanced at Jean who gave him a little smile

"You didn't use the light?" asked Kara in surprise.

"I had something to do," said Logan as he gave a small circular object to Jean; she looked at him for a few moments as if inquiring silently.

Then she pinned the metallic object above her left breast. It was perfectly circular and had an 'X' in the middle.

The captain had a similar one over the left side of his chest.

"After me," said Logan as he opened the shuttle and walked into the craft. The five turned to see Jean pointing into the spacecraft.

They did not know it then; but when they looked back on this moment they realized that even though they had their weapons back. A clearly unarmed female medical doctor such as Jean still made them very anxious.

They were beginning to learn not to underestimate her.

Once they entered; Jean followed them in.

_**Battlestar Galactica, Main Flight deck...**_

Anders guided his viper in after Helo and packed as quickly as he could. The small shuttle from the Xavier had been following slowly ; thus giving them time to land.

When Anders got out of his craft; he started swearing under his breath.

The fighter landing bay was packed with marines who were armed to the teeth. The Admiral and the Gods damn XO were also present.

What stunned him the most was that the President and Vice President were also present. However from the glances the Admiral was giving her; he was not too keen to have her there either.

Anders barely looked when Lee's fighter came in; he walked up to the Admiral and stood at attention. "Sir."

"Anders; Helo," said Adama as the second officer joined them "I don't want to hear it. If you wish to see your wives; stay to one side quietly or take yourselves to the brig."

The two men took one look at the angry admiral and stood next to Galen who looked very nervous. The three then watched as the CAG hurried over to his father and whispered several words urgently to him.

Anders felt his heart sink when he saw the expression on Admiral Adama's face darken even more.

Lee must have told him about the AI on board the Xavier; Anders' eyes slid over all the marines in the fighter bay.

Most of them looked confident; Anders wondered if they had seen what the Xavier had done to the basestar. He looked at Helo; his expression mirrored his.

This had the potential to go very wrong.

A gasp of wonder had the two viper pilots looking with the others to the entrance into the fighter bay. A strange craft began to creep slowly into the main fighter bay. It was obviously well maintained; triangular in shape; a bit smaller than a raptor but bigger than a viper.

There was where the resemblance ended.

The ship appeared to glide into the bay; there were no obvious sign of weapons ; the rear nacelles were barely glowing for it was operating on impulse power.

It's side wings glowed slightly red and everyone could see two people who sat in the front cockpit.

It kept slowing down; then settled softly to the deck; 12 feet from the nearest person. Not a sound was heard throughout its entry.

Anders risked a quick look at all the armed marines and a good number of them were beginning to look a bit worried.

The side door slowly opened by lifting up and a stair came down.

Anders heard a lot of clicks as weapons near him were shifted from the safety mode.

"This is madness," muttered Helo anxiously. Anders could only nod while Galen looked at them with increasing worry on his face.

In a few seconds; a man stepped out of the craft; weapons came up.

"Hold," commanded Adama in his baritone voice.

The man came down; not in any apparent hurry. He had on a dark brown leather jacket with yellow bands on each arm; over a black t-shirt on black jeans and black combat boots.

He looked about 5'9; stocky muscular build; with oddly shaped black hair and similarly coloured side burns.

He walked to the front of the ship and looked at the marines with their weapons and the entire bay before settling his calm gaze on the Admiral and the people close to him. His hands hung loose.

"Admiral Adama; I'm Captain Logan. Your crew is right behind me," as if on cue someone else appeared on the steps from the shuttle.

It was Starbuck.

Anders had to restrain himself from not yelling.

"Lieutenant Thrace, are you okay?" asked Adama in a booming voice.

She smiled her usual cocky grin. "Never better sir and I've got the others with me." She turned back to the inside of the ship and said something.

Soon all 5 missing colonials were out and standing by Captain Logan; Kara looked at him.

"After you Lieutenant," he said with a slight bow and a small smile as another woman came out and stood behind the colonels.

She nodded and motioned for the others to walk ahead of her; Cally, Nails and Hotdog started walking towards the Admiral. For some reason Sharon hung back a bit looking at the woman beside the captain.

"Athena" called Helo in a slightly shaky voice; he could not help himself. Saul shot him a look that could melted steel.

But the officer's voice had her turning back to her husband; she looked back once more then walked towards the marines.

Adama let the five colonials re-unite with the crew then turned back to the two visitors who were still standing beside their spacecraft.

"This is Dr Jean Grey; our chief medic," Logan paused before continuing in a calm voice "your crew has now been returned; where's ours ?"

Adama looked at him for several moments. "We appreciate the return of our crew...you will have to come with us for a discussion in private."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Is that a polite request or an offer we can't refuse?"

The Admiral paused at the framing of the question." It would be best if you comply before we take action."

Then all the marines levelled weapons as them and 10 of them started walking towards the two visitors who still remained calm.

Kara who was beside her husband looked at Adama in surprise.

"Sir! No wait..." she never got to finish her sentence as all the weapons carried by all the colonials in the bay suddenly flew out of their hands and holsters amid cries of alarm.

Admiral Adama's jaw dropped as the weapons including his reached a short distance above the shuttle with the barrel of the guns or tapered end of fighting knives pointing towards the ceiling. Then the weapons begin to rotate in a suspended circle.

Logan waited for them to observe the twirling mass of accumulated weapons which appeared to be held and suspended by an invisible force. His sensitive nose picked up the increased sweating done by some very nervous marines.

He had to give them credit; no one had crapped in their pants yet.

"Now that I have your _undivided _attention; where the hell is my crew ?"

Adama tried to stare steadily back at them despite getting paler at the sight of the suspended weapons.

He was thinking of how fast he could get more marines down there and if there was a way of safely spacing the two visitors without any harm to the President and the Vice President.

Then the lady called Dr Jean Grey looked at him and he had the strong urge to look away. Her clear eyes seemed to look deep into his soul.

"Admiral Adama; ask Kara how easy it was for us to toss a dozen centurions in the air. Trust me when I say living tissue weighs so much less."

Adama looked quickly at Starbuck who nodded slowly. "Sir; with all due respect...they don't like been frakked with."

Now Adama knew how serious it was. Kara had an annoying habit of swearing even in the presence of other superior officers but she had never sworn in his presence and for her to do it now showed how scared she was.

And hardly anything scared her.

"Admiral Adama; if we have to go through your ship...room by room; layer by layer to find them. We will and it's bound to lead to casualties," said Logan in a calm causal voice.

The admiral stared at him. When he first heard Logan's voice he had pictured a fighter and that was what was looking at him.

Then again the girl was his daughter; he sounded like he was ready to kill to get her and the other crew member back.

"Junior Lieutenant Anders." The viper pilot looked at his commanding officer with fear on his face. "Get them down here now."

As the pilot hurried away he heard the CAG protesting.

"Sir! We can't..."

"Not now," cut in Saul Tigh as he watched the two people before them "Lee; this is definitely not the time."

The CAG took one look at the nervous pale expression on the XO's voice and he shut up.

_**Detention Block 22...**_

Anders tried to run faster; he did not know what Laura's father was capable of.

Frak! He was her father; when he heard Logan mention the relationship; he almost crapped in his pants. He tried to think of a way to salvage this first contact situation but nothing came to mind.

After what seemed like an eternity; he reached the detention block.

His eyes widened when he saw who was waiting with the nervous looking marines.

"Buck! What are you doing out of the infirmary?"

The ensign gave him a wry grin. "News on the vine is that the cylons are in town; so everyone who could walk and carry a piece cleared out from the medbay. What's going on?"

"There's no time to explain, however we got away from the cylons with a lot of help" he looked at the marines "but now we're moving Laura and Q to the main fighter bay."

"Why?" asked Rogers with a hard look on his face " they have done nothing wrong!"

Anders stared at him. "Her parents are here and they want her and Q in the fighter bay now."

Roger's anger was replaced by surprise. He could tell Anders was not lying but that something else was terribly wrong. His instinct was warning him to go with Anders.

He dimly heard the viper pilot explain to the marines what was going on.

"You will be needing an escort sir,"stated the lead marine.

Anders was shaking his head. "No...I think that will make things worse."

"I'm coming with you," said Rogers surprising the viper pilot.

"Buck; you do not want to be involved...this has the potential to get really frakked up."

Rogers shrugged. "I'm still coming pal...I need to see them."

Anders looked at him for a few seconds; he wanted to ask the viper pilot why but part of him realized that they were running out of time.

"Fine, may the Gods help us all."

Laura and Q looked up when the two pilots came into their cell.

"Hi," said Rogers anxiously.

The girl's eyes were drawn to the younger pilot's left forearm.

"How's the arm?"

"Emmm...it's okay; hurts a bit..." stammered Rogers; something was off about these two. They were so calm.

"Laura; Q. Your parents are here," interrupted Anders. The look of calm was replaced by surprise on the faces of the two teens.

"What?" they both said.

"Captain Logan and Dr Grey?" clarified Anders.

The expression on Q Junior's face changed to one of relief. "Oh boy; for one second I thought you meant my r...," a warning look from Laura had him shutting up.

Laura turned back to the two men. "Captain Logan is my...father but Dr Grey is kind of our guardian," she stood up and her blanket fell to the floor.

Then she noticed the three males in the cell were staring at her before turning away to stare at the walls of the cell with reddened faces.

"What now?"

"Em...your top is kinda torn in several places," said Q Junior in a nervous voice.

Laura looked down and saw that her t-shirt was badly torn and only her underlying dark blue sports bra was relatively intact. Now she understood their embarrassment and she felt her own face heat up.

"Then; someone get me a bloody jacket," ordered Laura in a growl.

**The main fighter bay...**

Adama found himself praying as he waited for Anders to return. He wanted to speak to fill in the silence but for some reason there was nothing to say.

The whole bay was as silent as a tomb as they watched the weapons twirling in the air. The only good thing was that none of them were pointed at the colonials.

Yet.

He knew things would change once they saw Laura and Q; he could bet his next rationed meal on that. He had to say something.

"Captain Logan...are you from Earth?"

Adama looked at Roslin in shock. Why did she have to ask that now ?  
The grey eyed man looked at her. "Yes and you are ?"

Silence was broken by anxious murmurs.

"Quiet," barked Saul Tigh. Logan stared at him for a brief moment before concentrating on Roslin.

"Then...then we are your brothers and sisters. We should be discussing this in a ...more appropriate location...not like this."

Logan tilted his head to one side as he looked at her. " Your people seem to have a knack for avoiding questions. I have been introduced sort of to Admiral Adama but you...I have no idea who you are or where you're from."

His soft rebuke made her go red in the face.

"My apologies," she gestured weakly to the rotating floating weapons " it's not every day that we see something like that. I'm Laura Roslin; the President of the 12 Colonies."

"Well ma'am; it's not every day we get greeted with marines aiming loaded weapons at us _after_ we rescue and return lost crew. Especially when we also helped you escape."

Roslin tried to smile. "I can assure you...that there are very good reasons for our reactions."

Logan laughed drily. "Oh; I'm sure there are always plausible reasons for shooting first and sending flowers later."

Zara felt quilt as she watched the President's face redden in embarrassment.

"You will show respect to the President , Captain," barked Lee. Starbuck shut her eyes in frustration; the CAG still did not realize that Logan was a very dangerous man.

The captain looked at the CAG. "Respect ? Just like you did when you wanted _to nuke my_ _ship_?! It was only the words of your own people that stopped you!"

It was the turn of everyone to stare in shock at the CAG; his face was red from shame and anger.

"Of cause I did ! Afterall you have an..."

"Commander Lee, take five!" barked the Admiral. His son turned to him but his father's brown steel gaze had him obeying.

Before anymore could be said; they heard voices.

"Coming through; make a hole people," ordered a male voice. The marines parted to show two teenagers and two viper pilots.

Logan's eyes narrowed when he saw what Laura was wearing. She had on what looked like a flyer's jacket, zipped up in the front. Q was still wearing the same outfit that Logan and Jean last saw before they had gone down to that cursed planet.

However both teenagers looked like they were trying to hide their anxiety.

"Laura, Q. You okay?" called Logan as the two left their escorts and walked towards them.

"Yeah, yeah," said Laura as she tried for a causal tone " what took you so long old man?"

The captain looked suspiciously at them as they got closer.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked with a growl; he ignored the increased smell of terror that was coming from a man on the right side of the Admiral.

"Nothing," chorused the two teenagers.

Logan stared at Laura and Q; the two were lying and he could tell; he opened his mouth to speak.

"Laura, Q, get into the shuttle now," interrupted Jean in an odd, creepy voice.

The two teens took one look at her face and quickly walked into the shuttle. She watched them go; then turned to the Admiral and his people; the increased gasps of fear had Logan looking up to see that the position of the weapons had changed.

Jean had aligned everyone of the weapons in a straight horizontal line and all of them had the business end pointing at the large group of marines; the admiral and the president.

"Jean, what..." began Logan in a worried voice.

"I want someone to tell me what you did to Laura and Q Junior," asked Jean in a hard cold voice. The acrid smell of faeces told Logan that some marines had finally crapped in their pants.

The strange thing was that Jean was totally in control but livid.

A small part of Logan wanted to ask her to stand down; but another part was very, very upset. He had only known less than 2 months ago that Laura was his daughter.

Maybe not in the usual way but she was his blood; his responsibility.

And even if Q Junior was just a computer program; he still seemed like a kid.

But Logan knew Laura had probably endured much more pain than the hologram.

The jacket she wore was 2 sizes too big; a man's jacket from the smell. Something bad had happened.

The two mutants waited as the silence grew; then a one-eyed man who stood beside the Admiral made as if to step forward and the man called Adama held him back and shook his head slightly.

A young soldier with a bandaged left forearm had looked at the Admiral and saw what took place; he turned back to the two people from Earth and took two steps forward before anyone could say a word.

"Em...Dr Grey, Captain Logan...I'm Ensign Billy Buck Rogers," Jean swung her angry gaze in his direction. Rogers' knees almost gave way at the intensity of her gaze.

"We were on a planet some hours ago...and Laura and Q saved our lives and also...treated our people while we were in transit to the fleet.

They saved a lot of people ma'am, sir," he paused and swallowed nervously before continuing.

"Something...something happened when we got back to the fleet...we...I did not act fast enough...I take responsibility for not been quick enough sir and ma'am."

Behind him he could hear Anders saying 'no'. Rogers lifted his right hand to stop him without turning round.

"I am terribly sorry...so sorry. But...we need your help...we are the last of our people. Please," he stopped talking; unsure of what next to say.

Jean scrutinized him for an eternity; then to everyone's relief the weapons dropped to float a metre above the floor in-front of the shuttle.

She ignored the sighs of relief and continued to focus on Rogers.

"Ensign; what you just did...is the act of an honourable man," she turned the gaze onto the Admiral; the CAG; the President and the one-eyed man "something some of you lack." She looked at Logan and spoke in a quieter voice.

"We need to discuss this _after_ we get Laura and Q back on the Xavier. We better leave now...before I lose it."

Logan looked at her and knew she had found out what had occurred to Laura and Q; and that had almost made her lose her control of her emotions.

It showed how far she had come in not disintegrating everyone in the bay; but it was best if he did not tempt fate. He nodded and moved to follow her.

"Wait, will you not help us?" asked President Roslin.

The captain stared at her and marvelled at her audacity. "Ma'am; considering how I'm feeling right now...you don't want to hear my answer."

Everyone watched with increasing anxiety as the door to the shuttle closed; then the weapons dropped to the floor with a clatter as the shuttle silently reversed at 20 times the speed it used to glide in. There were gasps of astonishment as it rapidly sped away.

The marines hesitantly went to collect their weapons.

Anders and Kara walked up to Rogers. "You did good man; really good. But I think we really pissed them off. They are not going to come back."

To the couple's surprise, Rogers was shaking his head while staring at the pile of weapons that the colonials were still nervously sorting out.

"NO...you're wrong. They will be back."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X**

**Hi everyone; thanks so much for your help and suggestions. **

**I have started using place and location as Dur'id the Druid suggested= thanks pal! Thanks okay for everyone for reading and reviewing.**

**Have a great weekend everyone and please read and review.**


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 Of The Phoenix and The Wolverine.

_**The Delta Flyer Beta...**_

At first the ride to the Xavier was silent; Laura looked anxiously at Q Junior; he also seemed worried. Each of them was afraid to say a word as they stared at the rigid backs of the two adults.

After a few minutes ; Jean took a deep breath and turned to them.

"Are you two_ really _okay?"

Laura answered carefully. "Yes Jean; we are fine."

"Well; you don't look it," added Logan with a growl in his voice without turning round.

Laura opened her mouth to retort; but stopped when she realized something.

The captain actually sounded a bit anxious as well as very angry. Something told her she and Q had to choose their words carefully.

Unfortunately Q Junior's next words revealed he had not got that memo.

"Hardly surprising when one's been held by an army of xenophobic maniacs."  
One could hear a pin drop as Logan turned to look at him with barely controlled rage.

"Which would not have occurred if you morons had stayed on the God-damn ship in the first place !"

The boy opened his mouth; then shut it rapidly when he saw that Jean was also glaring at him.

"It's not his fault; I wanted to get down there and...and...he had to come with me," argued Laura weakly.

Jean turned her glare on her. "Logan has a point; what possessed you two to come after us? We had the situation under control."

The telepath saw the faces of the two teens redden as they quickly glanced guiltily at each other.

_I should have seen this all along; he's not a hologram._ Thought Jean to herself as she noted Q's all too human behaviour.

"Logan; let's get back to the ship. Laura and Q Junior will be going straight up to the med bay for a check up," the two teens were wise enough not to protest.

Logan looked at Jean; his set jaw showed he was not happy; but he agreed with her decision. As far as he was concerned; Laura needed the more immediate check up. He was trying hard not to imagine what must have happened on the Galactica.

Because he was sorely tempted to plant a phaser torpedo in the side of the scarred battleship.

All too soon the shuttle reached the Xavier and he quickly packed the smaller craft.

"_Welcome back Captain; Dr Grey, Miss Kinney and Q Junior,"_ announced the ship once they exited.

"Thanks Xavier," answered Jean "please beam Laura, Q and I to the medical bay."

"I'll be seeing you later," said Logan before the three turned into 3 columns of light before disappearing.

Logan walked to the bridge; he wanted to give Jean time to talk to the two teens as well as give himself time to cool down.

"Xavier; what are the colonials doing?"

"_They have maintained their distance; no hails have been sent."_

"For once; they are being smart," muttered Logan darkly " Xavier; please maintain full shields; keep ship at red alert and if there is the slightest energy build up from the colonials..."he paused "let us know about it."

"_Yes, Captain."_

Logan watched the view screen for several moments. "Move us backwards 100,000 metres on impulse power only."

As the ship moved; the captain watched the viewscreen closely; there was no indication that any of the colonial ships were moving towards them.

He nodded his head slowly. It looked like the colonials had got the message.

"I'll be down in the medbay; until then stay frosty," said Logan unthinkingly; then he realized the computer may not get the meaning.

"Eh...I meant..."

"_Frosty...meaning paying attention...be alert...understood Captain."_

Logan smiled a little to himself as he left the bridge.

_**Medical Bay...**_

Once the three beamed into the medbay; Jean gave Q Junior a look which he had no trouble interpreting.

"I'll wait outside Dr Grey," he said hurriedly as quickly walked out.

Laura watched him go with a puzzled look; then turned back to Jean.

"What was that about?"

The doctor gave her a softer look. "Laura...I need you to tell me what happened..."

The young teen gave her a puzzled look. "Why?"

Jean was uncertain on what else to say.

When Laura and Q Junior had appeared on the colonial flight deck; she had noticed her torn jeans and the obviously male jacket.

Her first thought had been assault and her telepathic control had almost slipped. That tiny loss of control showed her fleeting images of Laura been pushed into a small room with Q Junior; then flashed to a feeling of severe cold and pain which had made the female teen mutant black out.

Jean had stopped her mind and the Phoenix from looking further; for she was sure she would have reduced the entire flight deck to pieces smaller than a US postage stamp.

Including the colonials who were still on it. Especially them.

They had no idea how much they owned Ensign Rogers; something about that young colonial was odd.

Jean's mind returned to the present as she answered Laura's question

"Because...even though you are a mutant and heal fast; there is the emotional trauma..."

Laura rolled her eyes and interrupted the older woman. "Jean; I was not assaulted...Q Junior and I were tricked into an airlock and when he continued to deny we were cylons. The XO known as Colonel Saul Tigh opened the airlock."

Jean stared at her for several seconds in disbelief.

"Q used his phasing ability to get to the other side to turn the airlock off and get me back to safety; it just took a while for me to heal. I'm certain he did not let anyone touch me while I was out for the count."

The doctor finally found the words. "An airlock!? They put you two in an airlock!" her voice rose.

Laura quickly looked around and was relieved to not see anything quivering or shaking. It looked like Jean was firmly in control of her abilities.

"It doesn't matter; Q Junior and I are back with you and Logan...we're fine; that's what is important."

The doctor said nothing for a few moments as she struggled to keep herself calm. She finally sighed, releasing all the pent up tension.

"Let's get you out of that jacket and get you into some new clothes at least."

Laura wrinkled her face. "I would rather do with a quick shower."

"I know dear; but your dad...I mean Logan is going to want to speak to you both soon; it's best if we get it out of the way as soon as possible."

Laura made no indication she heard Jean's accidental slip; she watched as the doctor replicate new clothes for her; then the teen mutant walked behind a screen to change.

"Jean," called Laura in a slightly nervous voice.

The doctor turned towards the screen with an anxious expression on her face. "What's wrong Laura?"

"Oh nothing...its just that...was he really worried or just..." she couldn't go on.

Jean did not need to read her mind to know what Laura was thinking. "He was not pretending Laura; he actually asked the Admiral for you...and he stated without hesitation that you were his daughter."

Behind the screen Laura gasped. "What?! Is he insane ? You don't give that sort of _sensitive _information to a potential enemy ! That's like painting a bullseye on my back!"

Jean closed her eyes briefly and realized the Phoenix was chuckling along with her.

_I can see that she's definitely okay; for her to get that riled up._

The telepath nodded; agreeing with the assessment.

"I think he told them so that they would be quick to realize that Logan and I are not to be messed with; you know how they say blood is thicker than water."

"Yeah; yeah," answered Laura impatiently as she emerged from behind the screen now wearing new blue jeans and a light blue t-shirt. She placed the old flight jacket and her ruined jeans on a nearby table. "By the by; why blue? I prefer black."

Jean gave her a dry smile . " I know."

However Laura was not done yet. "So...he told them that and they just brought us out when you guys landed...or did the floating weapons have something to do with their readiness to comply?"

The telepath tilted her head at Laura's incredulous tone.

"A bit of both...Logan showed them he was ready to take the ship apart to find you and Q Junior...and I was also quite happy to assist him in doing so."

Jean though about the floating weapons and the amount of damage she could have unleashed on the colonials.

" And I'm pretty sure the colonials got the message loud and clear."

Laura nodded slowly as she chewed her lower lip with a thoughtful look on her face.

_**The Xavier, outside the medical bay...**_

Logan found Q junior pacing up and down in the corridor in-front of the medical bay.

The captain narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Em...Dr Grey wanted to see Laura alone."

Logan looked at the door; then back at the nervous looking male in-front of him. He tried not to imagine why.

Q Junior began to fidget more when Logan kept staring at him.

"Eh...Captain...something on your min..."

"Did they...touch her?" growled Logan.

Q Junior's eyes widened but he maintained eye contact. "No sir; I didn't let anyone near her."

Logan kept looking at him. "Despite everything...somehow; I believe you."

The boy's expression changed to a puzzled one. "What do you mean...?"

He never got to finish it because the door slid open to show Jean standing in the doorway.

"Boys; come on in," said Jean. The two males looked at her and both were relieved to see she looked a bit more relaxed.

"Is she okay?" asked Logan as he walked in.

"Hello!" called Laura in an irritated voice " ask me! I'm right here!"

Logan hid his relief when he realized she had changed her outfit and heavens be praised; it was not black. He had noticed soon enough that all her outfits were black; from her shirt to jeans to sneakers.

"Good to know," he looked at Q Junior "do you also need a ...check up?"

The boy shook his head. " I'm fine really; just need to recheck my mobile holoemitter." That caught Jean and Logan's attention.

"Why?" they both asked at the same time.

Q looked at both of them. "It's kinda a long story...I have a funny feeling you want to debrief us now; when we get to the relevant part. I will explain why I need to check the device."

Logan looked at Jean who also nodded.

"Alright kids," he ignored the frowns on the faces of the two teens when he used the 'k' word. "What happened?"

Q junior looked nervously at Laura; she maintained eye contact for a long time; then nodded slowly. The boy turned to Logan and spoke first.

"Knowing how impatient you get for reports...there are three; one is of events way before today ; the second is of what happened on the planet and third is of the events on the battlestar Galactica."

Logan narrowed his eyes. This was not what he expected.

He had wanted to confront the hologram or not-hologram about what was going on when he least expected it.

"Go on."

Q Junior swallowed nervously. "First of all...I'm not a real hologram...well I didn't start as one. I'm...I'm a Q."

_**The Galactica, Main Flight deck...**_

Admiral Adama had watched the sleek alien ship a.k.a shuttle back out faster than it approached; then after several nervous moments; the colonial soldiers went forward to get their weapons from the pile.

The admiral joined them in searching for his own weapons; a gun and a combat knife. He was a bit reluctant to touch them; until he noticed how nearby marines were watching him.

"They must have used some sort of magnetic device...nothing to worry about," he said as he tried to calmly pick up his own weapons.

Apparently his ruse worked as the marines and other soldiers started strapping their reclaimed weapons back on. He turned to see Anders and Starbuck talking to Rogers.

The ensign who had been courageous enough to try and explain a frakked up situation to the livid members of the Thirteenth Tribe.

For that alone he deserved a medal and also a rap on the knuckles.

That sort of thinking could get him killed.

"Ensign Rogers!"

The three pilots turned round in surprise. "Sir!" chorused all three.

Adama looked at the three of them and his eyes rested on the ensign's broken left forearm.

Maybe the rap would be a light tap; the kid had been through enough shit for one day.

"That was a very stupid thing you did...and also very brave," added Adama before a stunned Starbuck said a word in ensign's defence.

"I...thank you sir," said a stunned Rogers.

Adama turned to the other two colonials. "Get your weapons and attend the CIC side room for an asap de-briefing. Inform the other 4 colonials and Captain Agathon to attend as well."

"Yes sir," answered Anders and Starbuck at the same time.

The Admiral turned round to see his son standing close to him; he was also strapping on his own handgun and two fighting knives.

"Sir; orders concerning the Xavier?"

Adama noticed how nearby marines paled at the mention of the ship; it was obvious they were thinking of its occupants.

"We just watch; do not approach," Lee opened his mouth to protest "we'll discuss this further in the CIC," said the Admiral with a steely look.

The CAG clamped his lips shut and nodded hesitantly.

"In the meantime; make sure everyone gets their weapons back; secure the flight deck; then meet up for debriefing as soon as you can."

"Yes sir," said Lee in a quieter voice.

"Admiral," he turned to see Saul, Roslin and Zarek had approached their small group.

"We need to talk now," understandably the president looked very pale and worried.

_**The Galactica, the CIC...**_

The Admiral and Saul ignored the concerned looks on the faces of the officers in the CIC; he had a lot on his mind at the moment. He motioned Gaeta over.

"What's the jump status?"

"15 minutes to jump sir," replied Gaeta.

Adama looked at him with a blank face. It was hard to believe that the events in the main flight deck had only lasted 24 minutes. He could have sworn it was much longer.

"I'll stay and watch as I expect you want to be at the meeting," offered Saul.

Admiral Adama looked at his XO; the man was still a bit pale but very sober. A time would come when both men would discuss what had happened in the flight bay; but this was not the time.

"Inform me when it's time," ordered Adama before he walked into the sideroom. As expected Roslin, Zarek and Tory were already waiting.

Zarek opened his mouth to speak only to be stalled by Adama's uplifted right hand.

"Let's give the others time to get here first so that we're aware of what we're exactly dealing with."

The vice president frowned at him. "The others? You mean the supposedly Starbuck, the cylon and the other 3 colonials who have been on the Xavier ?"

Something in his voice made Adama look at him sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"How do we know the colonials who came back are the real ones? They could be imposters..."

"Stop!" ordered Adama in a very firm cold tone that had the vice-president shutting up.

"Are you suggesting we throw them into the brig...or space them!? Which is it?"

"I...I meant nothing of the sort..." started Zarek.

"Of course not," cut in Adama sarcastically "when we get missing soldiers back we usually get the medics to check them for injuries then we debrief afterwards but considering how we are currently in the middle of a very_ complicated_ situation in which two teenagers of the Thirteenth Tribe were almost killed...we need to speak to Starbuck and her team now so that we can salvage something out of this disastrous First Contact!"

The two men glared at each other.

"Zarek, Admiral Adama," began Roslin in a calm tone " both of you have valid points...however what we need right now is information...and...considering the fact that the two children saved our people out on Hera's planet and healed them on the way back to the Galactica...it's highly unlikely that the parents would be less honourable."

Both men looked at her as the tension in the room lessened.

"I...guess that does make sense," said Zarek grudgingly.

Before anyone could say a word; there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," ordered Adama.

In walked CAG Lee Adama, Starbuck, Anders, Hotdog, Sharon Agathon and her husband.

The 6 colonial soldiers stood to attention.

"At ease, where's Cally and Nails?" asked the Admiral.

"In the infirmary, Dr Cottle is giving her a once over. Nails and Galen were supporting her...on Hera's planet the cylons put a bullet through her right leg ...Dr Grey healed her but advised her to stay off her feet for a while," said Starbuck.

Adama looked at the tense faces of the 6 before him; Sharon looked especially stressed despite her husband's presence. She seemed to be looking directly at the Admiral as if trying to search his soul.

"What happened on that planet?" asked Roslin before he could say a word.

Starbuck took a deep breath. "A lot ma'am..."

"Start from the beginning," interrupted Zarek in a commanding voice.

Adama gave him a cold look before turning back to the 6 pilots. "Have a seat first." All replied 'yes sir' before sitting down.

Kara looked up. " We arrived the planet at exactly 3hours and 55 minutes after we left Galactica..."

Adama kept his face blank as he heard how they arrived to see the strange ship in orbit; the cylons arriving and focusing on the Xavier; the race to the surface and their first meeting with Captain Logan and Dr Grey.

He paid particular attention to how the cylons and their centurions were tossed like tincans when Boomer ordered the deaths of Kara's team; he saw how Sharon's face got paler at the name of the Number Eight.

He waited until she mentioned the escape off the planet before the orbital bombardment and then Kara's voice faltered.

"What's wrong?" asked Adama worryingly.

Beside Kara; her husband looked anxious and upset.

"When we got on the Xavier...we discovered the ship had an AI called Xavier."

Roslin gasped "Oh my Gods."

"What the frak...?" began Zarek in a shocked voice.

Admiral Adama glanced silently at his son who looked pale. The CAG noticed his father's blank expression and also kept quiet.

"I...we tried to shoot Logan and Dr Grey when their backs were turned...then Dr Grey looked at us...and we all lost consciousness...I'm not sure how she did it," continued the female colonial pilot.

Adama shared worried looks with Roslin and Zarek.

"When we woke up...we were in a forcefield and Dr Grey was watching us. Our weapons were gone and she offered to treat Cally. We refused at first then she stated she would still treat her unconscious or conscious ...so we chose the latter.

I don't know how to describe this woman...it was like she knew what we were thinking...even as she was treating Cally's injuries. It was astonishing to watch the injuries disappear...but she healed her completely."

Before anyone else could say another word; there was a knock on the door before it opened to let Saul in.

"We're ready to jump...and the ship has moved further out of missile range."

Adama stared at his best friend for a long time.

His mind was racing; part of him wanted to hail the Xavier and apologize; while the other part was advising him to stay away from them because of two obvious reasons.

They had an AI.

And second what had happened to the two children; members of the Thirteenth Tribe and one of them had almost died on the Galactica .

Even though Adama had not known about the XO's actions he was still indirectly responsible for it was his ship; his command.

For if their roles had been reversed and it was his son who had been spaced and almost killed...he would not have been so forgiving.

But this was the Thirteenth Tribe and they could be their only hope.

Adama knew more than anyone what the survivors of the 12 colonies had been through. So many had died; so many hard decisions had been made.

Quite a number of those decisions he had been part of and a lot of them had been without honour.

He had tried to reason that the end justified the means; Adama could still see Dr Grey's sharp accusing glare.

"Admiral; what do you want us to do?" asked Saul gently.

"Wait; I need to send them a message," answered Adama surprising everyone.

"What message ?" demanded Zarek.

Adama didn't answer him as he left the room; he was only too aware of the president and vice-president following him out of the room.

The admiral walked up to Gaeta's station; he said something rapidly to Gaeta who looked at him for a few seconds before giving him a list.

"Admiral; what are you doing?" asked Roslin. He looked at her briefly before answering.

"Sending a message...and an apology." Her jaw dropped as he turned to the Junior Lieutenant who handed him the communicator.

Adama took a deep breath then nodded; Gaeta started transmitting at once.

"This is Admiral Adama to Captain Logan and Dr Grey of the Xavier...I apologize for how the children were treated and will understand if you do not wish to communicate with us any longer.

We will be leaving this place...however if you wish to continue relationships with us...we shall be at the following co-ordinates."

He heard Zarek mutter several swear words as he read out the numbers.

Adama paused. "We hope to see you again...under peaceful conditions. So say we all. May the Gods go with you."

He looked at a stunned Gaeta. " Jump the fleet; leave the Galactica as the last to leave."

"Yes sir," answered the junior lieutenant.

The admiral turned to small group who had followed him out of the CIC side room; they all looked at him with varying looks of alarm and anxiety. Only Sharon gave him an odd look; that was a combination of approval and ...suspicion.

Something was bothering the colonial cylon; he wondered what it was.

"People; let's continue the debriefing please."

Adama pretended not to see Saul's expression of barely disguised shame.

It took a few moments for everyone to get back to the room.

As Adama resumed his seat he saw Roslin giving him a questioning look. The Admiral sighed inwardly; another argument was around the corner.

"Lieutenant Thrace; please continue."

She nodded at her commanding officer's gravelly voice.

"The Xavier went back to Hera's planet to look for the children and they ran into the cylons again...I'm not sure how that encounter played out; for the captain came to us asking about the cylons...and other stuff." Kara overcame the temptation of casting a warning look in Sharon's direction.

Roslin noticed the hesitancy in Kara's voice.

"What other stuff?"

Kara opened her mouth to answer; but another person beat her to it.

"What did you do with Hera; our daughter?" demanded Sharon in a voice of steel.

Kara's first reaction was to tell Sharon to stand down; but the expressions on the faces of the people before her froze the words on her lips.

The president of the 12 colonies looked guilty; behind her ; the PA Tory Foster looked shocked and also guilty. Only Admiral Adama; Zarek and Lee looked well and truly surprised.

Kara had interrogated cylons and some collaborators who had been unfortunate enough to be caught and she had learnt the skill of telling a guilty expression from a shocked one.

"She didn't die at birth; did she?" Kara found herself saying the words.

Almost everyone stared at Starbuck in amazement; Sharon was the only one still staring at the President who was struggling to answer.

"Lieutenant...," started Admiral Adama in a warning tone.

"In a moment sir," interrupted Starbuck without taking her eyes off the embattled president. The trick to interrogation was throwing the person off stride and striking with quick questions so as to make the person blurt out answers or confirm a suspicion.

"She was on New Caprica; was she not?"

Beside Sharon; Halo tensed and looked quickly at Kara and then to the President. He was now realizing that his wife had been right.

"By the Gods," muttered Anders in horror.

Hotdog had his hand over his mouth; he looked like he was going to be sick.

"You hid her there...in that _hellhole_...right under the noses of the cylons..." continued Lieutenant Thrace in a chilling relentless manner.

"She died there!"

Everyone turned to look at a scared Tory Foster. Roslin closed her eyes briefly as she released a weak sigh. "Tory not another word..."

Her PA ignored her and kept talking.

"There was nothing we could do...I failed to evacuate her and the people protecting her."

"Protecting her!?" hissed Sharon "she should have been with her parents ! Safe aboard the Galactica! Now she's in the hands of the cylons!"

"What?" finally asked Admiral Adama and Zarek at the same time.

Sharon swung an accusing look towards the admiral. "Yes sir; 4 weeks ago; when I went down to New Caprica to initiate the rescue; I ran into D'anna. She kept telling me Hera was alive," the cylon laughed bitterly. " I thought she was trying to trick me so I shot her in the knees and took off.

Then 4 hours ago; while we were on Hera's planet; Cavil , Boomer and Caprica kept saying Hera was alive..." her voice faltered a bit " and is unwell and with them."

She took a deep breath before delivering the bombshell. "The Xavier's scans picked up the bio-sign of a female human-cylon hybrid child aboard one of the basestars."

She turned to President Roslin; her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"Congratulations ma'am; thanks to you, Hera; the first human-cylon hybrid has been with the cylons for the past 4 months !"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Admiral Adama sighed wearily as he looked at the only other person in the room.

The de-briefing had ended on a very awkward note.

After Sharon had confronted the president; Adama ordered all the colonial pilots to attend the medical bay for assessments with the aim to complete the de-briefing later when everyone had calmed down.

To his relief Zarek had been eager to leave the debriefing room.

But as the vice-president left the room he had given the president a very dark look. Tory Foster had given the president an apologetic look before fleeing; she seemed on the verge of tears herself.

However the expressions Adama would never forget were the looks of betrayal on the faces of Sharon and Helo as they passed him.

Even Anders and Hotdog had their heads down as they passed him; but Starbuck had looked at him with a blank face and that worried him a lot.

They had trusted him and now Adama personally felt he had betrayed that trust...even though he had known nothing of Roslin's plans.

"Laura...what have you done?"

She looked at him; her eyes suspiciously wet. "You don't understand..."

Adama folded his arms. "Try and make me understand how hiding a half cylon child among cylons and then losing her to them was a good plan."

"I didn't mean for that to happen!" yelled the president.

The admiral nodded; unruffled by her display of anger. " Of course you didn't; however we now have to deal with the consequences."

"What...what do you mean?" asked Roslin.

The colonial officer was quiet for a long time.

"Lieutenant Sharon Agathon and Captain Helo Agathon are two of the most dedicated and loyal officers on the fleet; along with Starbuck.

Three of them and including Anders have gone through Hades and back for the fleet...and how do we repay two of those _fine _officers...we imprison Sharon; interrogate her; almost expose her to brutality; throw her husband and friend into the brig for protecting her; threaten her pregnancy with forceful termination..."

Roslin flinched with each word; but Adama was not finished.

"...then take her child away from them; inform them Hera is dead; give the child to another person...then lose her to the cylons.

And she has to find this out from the cylons."

He paused and sighed. "Put yourself in her shoes Roslin and tell me honestly what you would be feeling at this moment."

He stood up and straightened his uniform jacket.

"You may stay as long as you like; I have to check the fleet."

President Roslin was left alone in the silent room with her unspoken thoughts for company.

_**The Xavier; medical bay...**_

Logan kept his face blank as the male teenager before him tried to explain what a Q was.

The summary of the long winded explanation was that the Q were almost omnipotent and thus passed away their time interfering and playing with people's lives.

What a load of crap!

One thing was clear; Q Junior was not a hologram and had never been one.

If Logan had been paying attention he should have noticed that; the only other explanation was that Q Junior had to be a high level mutant.

Like the late professor...like Jean.

He waited until the teen paused.

"Q Junior; you lied to us."

The boy flinched. " I didn't...not really...I just did not tell you everything..."

"Oh; so we're going for omission of the facts? Still smells like lying to me," said Logan darkly " besides how do we know you're not lying now."

"He's not," said Jean firmly. Logan looked at her in surprise; these were the first words she had spoken since Q started speaking.

Even Laura was calm and quiet; something told Logan he was the last person to find out what Q Junior really was.

"She knew all this time," continued Jean quietly "she's telling me that you have been completely straight with us."

Logan stared at her; he knew she was talking about the Phoenix.

"Sorry; I don't buy it; you expect me believe you singlehandedly brought us through time to this place and this ship to help those ...people!?"

Q Junior closed his eyes briefly. "I am so sorry; I don't know how many times I have to say it but it was wrong of me not telling you what I am...what I was!

Now; I can't even prove it because for my mistakes I have been made a hologram...with a few extra abilities!"

Logan narrowed his eyes. "Like what?"

"I don't know!" said Q Junior; his frustration was obvious " I haven't exactly had time to experiment!"

Jean frowned at the bitterness and fear in the young man's voice.

"So what happens now?" asked Logan sharply " we help the colonials to find Earth...or if we don't; we get punished?"

Q Junior shook his head wearily. "No; you won't get punished..."

"Oh really," cut in Logan " you mean; your _brethren_ will let us get to Earth. Infact; I've had enough; tell your bigwigs to show up and send us back to Earth of 2006."

Q Junior froze as Laura and Jean stared at Logan in shock.

"You don't want that."

"Why not?" asked Logan stubbornly.

"If we go back; it will be to right when we were taken; nothing will change...is that what you want old man?" asked Laura in a calm odd voice.

Logan looked at her. "Not if we get them to change a few things..."

"Like what ?" cut in Q Junior " the General will not change anything and even if...and that's a mighty _**big if**_ he agreed to some changes ; it will come at a huge price that you can never pay!"

There was dead silence for several moments as Logan stared at him. Part of him thought Q was lying but another part wondered if any of it was true and what that meant.

"Ah the price; I was wondering when we would get to that part...so what price are we _**to pay**_ for your intervention ? Is it by helping the colonials defeat the cylons or reach Earth ?"asked Logan in a deceptive mild tone as he slowly walked towards Q Junior.

It was akin to the way a wolf stalked its prey.

The young teen found himself retreating slowly.

"**Enough."**

The simple dark word had the three people in the room turning to face Jean Grey. The dark eyes of the Phoenix stared back at them.

"**We three have been taken almost 300 years into the future; all the people that we knew...all of them are gone...some by our hand...the rest by time and wars. I believe that is the price we paid; is that not so Q?"**

She looked at Q Junior.

He swallowed nervously as he nodded slowly.

"Yes Dr Grey...that is the price...I would not ask for anything more. You don't have to help the colonials if that is your decision. You will still get to Earth and the General will not go back on his word."

No one said anything for several moments.

"Well anyway; if this is coming down to a vote; I'm saying here in 2382," said Laura firmly as she crossed her arms and fixed a stubborn glare in Logan's direction.

The captain turned to Jean; the Phoenix had retreated; however the doctor nodded her head.

"If I go back; it's to a certain death; is that what you wish Logan?"

Wolverine found that he could not maintain eye contact. " No; I..." he could not find the words to continue.

"_Captain; the Galactica is hailing us."_

Logan's relief at the interruption was obvious as he looked up at the ceiling. "Let's hear it."

Before long; they heard the gravelly voice of Admiral Adama.

"_This is Admiral Adama to Captain Logan and Dr Grey of the Xavier...I apologize for how the children were treated and will understand if you do not wish to communicate with us any longer._

_We will be leaving this place...however if you wish to continue relationships with us...we shall be at the following co-ordinates."_

There was silence as a series of numbers were read out.

"_There is also an energy buildup; they have initiated their FTL drives,"_continued Xavier.

"Show us if you can Xavier," ordered Logan.

As he spoke; a holographic widescreen appeared to show the ships disappearing in flashes of light; the Galactica was the last to leave.

They all stared at the screen for a long time as it showed the emptiness of space.

Logan turned back to the rest of the crew. "Alright people; let's sort something out first of all...Jean, Laura you're certain you want to stay in this time and place?"

Laura was not long in replying. "I've got nothing to lose by staying...my former line of work was not something I could put on my CV."

Logan knew what she meant; once he had access to the files on the ship; he had found a lot of data on Coloner Stryker.

The man had been black ops and a lot of his 'soldiers' had been sent on assassinations around the world. Laura would have been a perfect addition to that 'department'.

He looked at Jean.

"You already know my answer," said the telepath in a chilly voice.

Logan nodded. "Fine; then I'm staying as well."

Q junior released a sigh of relief.

"I just have a question; why...why pick us?" asked Logan as he continued to glared at the boy before him.

"I...I just wanted to help...and I was hoping you could help the colonials as well...but I will understand if you don't wish to."

Logan was not done. "Why not help the colonials directly ?"

Q junior sighed wearily. " One of the Q tried three times and the warnings were ignored...that pissed off the Q continuum big time and thus the colonials are suffering the consequences of the actions of their leaders."

"You should have told us this at the beginning Q," added Jean.

"But would we have listened?"

Everyone looked at Laura in surprise; she continued speaking.

"Let's face it folks; we didn't trust each other...we didn't even trust our own minds ! I took off my helmet on the first planet we landed on to prove it was a dream and almost got my lungs toasted!

Yeah; maybe Q should have told us in the beginning ...but now we know; he has not hurt us and in fact he's been trying to get is to learn everything about this ship and this time," she looked at Q Junior "I've had massive trust issues for good reasons...but in this case I would trust Q with my life."

Logan stared at her then looked at Q Junior who was turning beet red.

When Logan looked at Laura; he saw a miniature version of himself. A person who had been exploited and betrayed by people in power; a person who would find it very hard to trust anyone who got close to her.

Logan had gone over the cockpit videos on the Delta Flyer Alpha and he had seen the way Laura glared at Q Junior as he tried to explain what the cylons were ; it had been pretty obvious that she had been livid.

But now she was firmly in Q's corner. He wondered what had happened on the Galactica.

"Well; that is interesting...which brings me to the next question.

How did you two end up on the Galactica and what happened that the Admiral had to send an apology?"

From the way Q Junior swallowed nervously and the look that Jean gave Laura; Logan could tell he was not going to like the report.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Hi everyone; sorry about the long wait. Work and life has been hectic. Hope you all enjoy this chapter; I will try and update more regularly.**

**Please read and enjoy!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine

_**The Basestar; Conference Room One...**_

Caprica Six found herself tapping her right foot impatiently; she had called for a high level meeting.

Every cylon representative had shown up; except Cavil.

She felt like screaming; the stubborn idiot was trying to show who was boss by keeping the rest of them waiting. It looked like he had forgotten that he had been_ voted in_ and could be so easily voted out.

"I'm sure he's on his way," said Boomer calmly.

Six glared at her. "Oh really; so can you tell me what's keeping him?"

Boomer hesitated briefly before answering. "I don't know."

Six narrowed her eyes. Ever since Boomer had resurrected after the failed attempt on Adama's life; she had been different.

Harder in body and soul; impossible to read.

And then again; there was her strange relationship with Cavil.

Six was sorely tempted to ask the Eight if she was sleeping with Cavil; but some instinct held her back.

Caprica looked at the rest of the group.

Aaron Doral was staring at a handheld e-pad; possibly replaying the brief disastrous battle with the Xavier.

God help them if they ever met a fleet of those ships.

Leoben Conoy and Simon O'neill seemed to be having a low key argument.

Naturally Caprica would have been curious about what was been said but she had so many things on her mind.

D'anna was silent; staring into space with a worried expression on her face.

Six was about to ask her what was wrong when she heard a familiar voice.

"Oh how nice of you to wait," said Cavil in a sarcastic tone as he walked into the conference room followed by two gold centurions.

Six looked at the metal guards; then looked back at the smug looking Number One.

Cavil was playing the intimidation card. She looked at the centurions.

"You may leave us now."

They showed no sign of moving; also their single red light eye which always seemed to be moving was still and staring straight ahead.

No one noticed when D'anna started concentrating on the two centurions.

Cavil grinned evilly. "Ah; I forgot to tell you that they are _directly _under my command."

The Six tilted her head to one side. "Oh is that so?" she snapped her fingers and everyone; including Aaron looked up at the sound of several marching metallic feet.

12 golden centurions came into the room; a pair planted themselves behind each cylon representatives.

Unlike the centurions of Cavil; their red lights were roving and moving about.

The smug look slid from the Number One's face. "Six; this is not a game that you can win."

Caprica leaned forward as she glared at him. " I have no intention of losing to you; Cavil."

The sound of slow clapping had them turning towards Leoben.

"If you two are done showing off; we have much more _serious _matters to attend to...like the obvious fact that the Thirteenth Tribe is now allied with the Colonials."

"Oh yes," said Cavil as he turned away from the fuming Caprica " and who do we have to thank for that?"

Boomer narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Cavil grinned coldly. "I do recall that when you, D'anna and Caprica first met the members of the Thirteenth Tribe on that forsaken planet; you tried to force them to come with you...after stating you were going to execute the colonials."

Caprica's jaw dropped as she glanced at Boomer who was now very pale and staring at Cavil as if she had never seen him before.

D'anna turned to the Number Eight. "You reported everything back to him," it was not a question. Boomer looked too distraught and betrayed to answer.

Cavil continued. "So; my fellow cylons if any one seeks someone to blame for the current situation; look no further that the Fabulous Three Female Cylons who did not use their grey matter in order to prevent the mess we are now in."

Caprcia finally found her voice. "Oh this is rich!

Now we're to blame for this debacle ?!

May I remind everyone that _this _Number One" she pointed an accusing finger at the man in-front of her "nuked the planet that we found them on; then tried to _steal_ their ship in addition to trying to blow them up when we met them with the Galactica fleet!"

She turned back to Cavil. " Even if you had not instigated the hostilities you such as hell contributed to them!"

"We can point fingers all day long; but that does not change the trouble we all are in," said Aaron in a troubled voice.

This caught everyone's attention.

Aaron Doral was known as the hothead of the cylons; he was over confident of his intelligence and strength and wholly believed the humans were so much less than the cylons.

For him to be worried...was something that could not be ignored.

"What have you found out?" asked Caprica.

Instead of answering; Aaron stood up and pressed a button on the transparent conference table. A large thin-screen slid out of the surface; he attached his e-pad to it.

Immediately; a video started playing showing the recent short battle between the Xavier and the heavy raiders.

"I wondered why our raiders could not hit the Xavier; thus I have been replaying the videos constantly. Then I realized that the collective aim of the raiders were true and on target...they were just blocked by something...a forcefield."

He turned to see the other 6 cylons giving him stunned ; disbelieving looks.

"That's not possible," finally said Caprica.

Cavil laughed drily."Aaron...old friend; this is not the time for jokes..."

"Do I look like I am laughing Cavil ?" cut in Aaron angrily "you better start paying attention! Look closely!"

He angrily pressed some more buttons which zoomed in on the Xavier and everyone could see clearly when a missile hit the front of the strange ship but seemed to impact an invisible barrier that flared briefly before the missile disintegrated.

"Dear God in heaven," muttered Six in shock.

"Now; do you understand?"" continued Aaron.

Cavil nodded; his face paler than usual; he looked at Six.

"If we increase the yield of our nukes by 50 percent; will that go through their shields?"

Six stared at him in shock. "Excuse me?"

"Caprica...I think that is a valid question" said Simon.

Six shook her head. " We should be trying to speak to them...not nuke them!"

D'anna sighed wearily. "We may have gone past speaking now."

"No, D'anna; we can still salvage this..." started Six.

"How?" cut in the Number Three " we're engaged them three times and each time we were the aggressor," she sighed wearily.

"Caprica; you were right all along; we should have been wary of their defences. The first two times we met them...they chose to flee and the third time; they warned us."

The Number Three looked at Cavil. "A warning we all chose to ignore and what did that cost us?

A whole basestar destroyed by one missile."

She waited for the words to sink in.

"We need to better our defences and our weapons; for I feel we're going to meet the Thirteenth Tribe very soon."

Everyone was nodding apart from Caprica and Leoben.

"So that's just it? We declare war on them?" asked a stunned Number Two " but...but they are our ancestors!"

"And so what?" asked Cavil with a sneer " It won't be the first time that children have rebelled against their parents!"

"That is not the point Cavil," attacked Caprica coldly "If we spoke to them; we might be able to explain that they should be helping us instead of the colonials."

"Oh really? Will that be before or after they blast you to smithereens?" responded Cavil with a sneer on his face.

The six found her right hand shaking uncontrollably; she really wanted to wipe that expression off the male cylon's face.

"Let's settle this with a vote," added Boomer quietly.

Caprica turned to the Number Eight. "A vote ? Is that all you can contribute to this _important _discussion."

The Number Eight looked at her for a few seconds; then looked away.

"Boomer is right for once," Six looked back at Cavil " let's vote now."

Six slumped back in her seat wearily as the other cylons gave their assent for an end to the discussion.

The voting process lasted about 8 minutes and the outcome was a 5 against 2.

The majority was in favour of heading back to the main base; upgrading their defences and starting a search for the Xavier.

The main objective: search; subdue or destroy.

"We are well and truly frakked," said Caprica to herself angrily as she watched each cylon leave the room. Her eyes lingered on Cavil who was talking with Simon O'neill as they left the room.

She went after them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So; how's your research going?" asked Cavil.

Simon sighed. " Not too good; I'm no closer to finding out how cylons can reproduce as the humans do. I was hoping with the cylon-human hybrid I might have a chance at gaining more data for my research."

Cavil grimaced. "Urgh; the thought of reproducing that way is so...primitive.

However; I can understand its importance; but it looks like you're not as thrilled as I thought you would be with the presence of the...child."

The Number Five gave a sound of frustration. "I wanted her to get older...but I'm afraid she may be dying."

That stopped Cavil in his tracks. " Are you sure?"

"I don't know! Boomer is no closer to knowing what is wrong with it ! One moment it's well; the next it's unwell! I just want the child old enough so that I can have some mature organs for dissection!"

Cavil opened his mouth to say something.

"What the frak did you just say?" asked a cold calm voice behind the two male cylons. They both turned to see an expressionless Number six who had approached them without been heard.

They also noted the two gold centurions who were not far behind her.

Cavil cursed silently; when the meeting was over; he had ordered his to return to his chambers for more re-programming. He had not expected Caprica to keep hers around.

"I..." began Simon hesitantly.

"Shut it!" ordered Caprica harshly "Simon O'neil; this is your first and last warning," she slowly walked up to him " if you lay a finger on that child or if I even hear a whisper of a _suspected_ vivisection of Hera...I will kill you so many times in _so many _ ways that each download will significantly reduce your mental capacity and will thus leave you with just enough intelligence to eat; shit and sleep !

Is that understood?!"

Simon looked at the fire in her eyes; shut his mouth and nodded rapidly.

What he valued most was his intelligence and there was valid research that stated that continuous or repetitive painful downloads at very short intervals could affect one's sanity as well as destroy one's mental capacity.

He really did not want that theory tested on his model.

The Number Six glared at him for extra measure and included Cavil as well before leaving with her two centurions.

The Number One waited until she was finally gone; then turned to Simon who was sweating profusely.

"Be patient my friend...support me in my every endeavour and you will get your vivisection."

Simon looked at the insane cold light in Cavil's eyes. He had no idea who frightened him more but something told him that the Number One had more terrifying ways of harming him than Caprica could.

"I..." his throat suddenly dry; he nodded slowly.

"Good," said Cavil " now let's continue on our conversation. You were telling me the...child is ill?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Caprica was still furious as she walked away from the two male cylons; soon enough the anger was replaced by numbing fear and she found herself running for the medical bay where Hera was been kept. She ignored the sound of the metal feet behind her as the 2 gold centurions kept pace.

God forgive her if anything happened to that child

And God have mercy on anyone who harmed her; for she would surely hunt them down and kill them all.

Six reached the medical bay barely winded; a quick looked around revealed two other cylons models in the room. They were standing close to Hera's crib; the gentle rise and fall of child's chest showed she was peacefully asleep.

The fact that the cylons were D'anna and Boomer made her relax a little.

The Number Three looked at her anxious expression with some concern. "Six; are you alright ?"

Caprica turned to her centurions. "Wait outside and remain alert; let me know if anyone, cylon or centurion approaches."

"_By your command."_ Said the first gold robot before the two nodded and walked out to assume sentry positions.

"What's going on?" asked D'anna; she had stood up and walked towards Six.

Her fellow cylon glared at her for several moments. "You voted against Leoben and I."

D'anna sighed. "Is that why you're so upset and posting guards at the entrance to the medical bay?"

"How concerned are you about Hera? Will you protect her with your life?" continued Caprica.

Boomer walked up and stood beside D'anna.

"Six; now you're beginning to worry me; what is going on?"

Caprica watched her for a while; obviously gauging how much to tell her. D'anna wisely kept silent; waiting for the Six to make up her mind.

"I just overhead Simon and Cavil speaking. Simon is very interested in performing a vivisection on Hera."

Boomer gasped in shock while D'anna went very pale.

Six kept watching them. " So; you didn't know."

D'anna went from pale to furious red. "You think that we...that I would condone such a thing on a child that we have waited for so long?! How dare you?!"

Caprica gave a sigh of relief as she held up a placating hand. " I had to be sure...you have no idea how close I came to ordering one of the centurions to tear Simon's head off...even if they have directives to prevent them from attacking us."

As all cylons knew; the centurions had telencephalic implants that annulled their higher cognitive functions ; prevented full self-awareness and had a directive that prevented them from attacking the humanoid cylons.

D'anna nodded then glanced at Boomer. "Forgive me for asking this; but were you even remotely aware of this ?"

The Eight hesitated before answering. "I know Cavil hates the fact that...Hera is aboard the basestar but I never...never thought he would be a party to such...maybe it's just Simon's idea..."

"Boomer dear; you cannot be that stupid," cut in Six impatiently "Cavil did not protest; he almost sounded and looked gleeful at the very idea!"

The Eight glared at Six. "I am not privy to everything Cavil does; we are not even that close!"

Six raised an eyebrow. " You could have fooled me."

D'anna watched the two female cylons for a few moments. " Sisters; before you go to war with each other...did any of you notice anything odd about the centurions that came in with Cavil ?"

Caprica turned a puzzled look on her. " Like what?"

"Their red lights were staring straight ahead; I'm sure Cavil has tampered with their implants."

Boomer's face darkened. " In what way ...for what purpose ?"

D'anna and Caprica shared a knowing look.

The centurions could not kill the cylons but if given an explicit order backed by a majority vote among the 7 cylon models; then the centurions would carry out the kill order.

"What if Cavil has found a way of bypassing the 'anti-kill directive' ?" asked Six.

The Eight shook her head. " He wouldn't... he would never...he is not capable of such!"

Caprica sighed bitterly. "Honey; you have no idea what a mad man is _truly _capable of."

Before Boomer could reply; a sound made them turn round to see a one of the gold centurions.

"What's wrong?" asked Six immediately.

"_You wished to be informed of any movements...Dr Baltar is about to be moved to a different cell; we just spoke to 4 centurions that passed by the medical bay."_

Six stared at him for several seconds. "On whose orders ?"

The gold centurion called the name she was dreading to hear.

"_On the orders of The One, Cavil."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Baltar stumbled as he tried to keep up with the pace of the 4 grey centurions around him. He had been awakened suddenly and told to leave the cell.

For one moment he was sure he was about to be tortured again; then after taking several steps he was sure he was about to be executed.

One thing was sure; the centurions were not telling him anything despite his half-hearted questions.

Gods above; he was tired. His white prison clothes hung on him; barely hiding his absurdly thin frame.

Eating was a chore and he had no idea why he even tried taking any food or drink. He; more than anyone else knew he deserved to die.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking; the centurions stopped abruptly and he walked into the broad back of the centurion in-front of him.

"S...sorry," hastily apologized the former President of the 12 Colonies.

The centurion made no indication it heard him. It pointed to a cell which looked exactly like the last one Baltar had been in.

The only difference was that there was a second cell beside his but the occupant was lying on a bed with a blanket over his or her head.

Now; that began to prick Baltar's sleeping curiosity.

He stood there staring at the second cell until one of the centurions pushed him gently towards the empty cell.

"O...Of course; I'll get in," said the doctor as he walked into his new cell.

His guard locked him in then quickly walked away. Baltar watched them go then turned to look into the other cell only to find himself staring at the occupant who had walked up to the cell bars without the doctor hearing a sound.

The man was in his mid thirties; dark brown skin and grey eyes. Height roughly 5'9 or 6 feet; slim with jet black hair in dreadlocks. He also wore white prison clothes like Baltar.

What caught most of the scientist's attention were his eyes.

This man had been through Hades and more; but was still standing. Something told Baltar this man was not a cylon.

"And who might you be ?" asked the man in a slow chilling drawl; his face blank.

Baltar swallowed nervously. "Er...Dr Gaius Baltar...scientist; home planet Caprica."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" his tone indicated he did not believe a single word.

"A...and you are?" asked Baltar hesitantly.

The other prisoner stared at him for several moments. "I must admit; this is new...I wonder if I should play along or just tell you to go frak yourself."

The scientist found himself retreating from the quiet vehemence in the other man's voice.

"I...I just wanted to know who you were...I did introduce myself," explained Baltar in a weak voice.

A chilling laugh from the other man had Gaius almost shaking in fear.

As abruptly as it started it stopped as the man stared at the scientist as if seeing into his very soul.

"Okay...if that's the way you want to play it.

I'm Senior Lieutenant Daniel Novacek a.k.a Bulldog; of the Gemenon Colony. I have been a POW for the past 8 years."

Baltar felt his lower jaw drop. "Oh dear Gods in heaven."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**The Xavier, Medical bay...**_

Logan tried to keep his face calm as Q Junior and Laura hesitantly explained how they ended up on the Galactica. He could not help but glare at Q Junior when he heard how the boy meekly surrendered his weapons and tricorder.

Then he bit his lower lip from swearing when he heard how they were tricked into the airlock; he knew worse was to come when Q Junior's voice faltered and stopped.

"What happened in the airlock Q?"

The two teens looked at each other. Then Q Junior took a deep breath and turned back to the captain.

"The XO accused us of been cylons; he didn't believe us...and blew the airlock."

Dead silence followed the teenager's words.

It took several moments as Wolverine fought the temptation to pop his claws; if this was what Jean saw when they were on that flight deck then she deserved a medal for not annihilating the colonials who had been present.

"Q; tell us what happened next," encouraged Jean in a calming voice.

He nodded and explained how he phased through the door and the aftermath which resulted in Anders opening the airlock door.

"Laura was able to get out of the airlock...but due to the decompression injuries she passed out...I made sure no one came near her while she slept."

Logan was still silent for a while before trusting himself to speak.

"You...were shot; where did the bullets go?"

Q frowned. " Now that you mentioned it..." he put his right hand into his chest and withdrew 3 smashed up bullets.

Jean held out her hand and the boy handed them to her. She stared at them; then looked at Q Junior.

"Did it hurt?"

He shook his head. "No; which brings me to the other thing I need to test...my holo-emitter. If I was strictly a hologram I should not have been able to phase through the airlock door. I don't think I really need it to move around."

Laura stared at him in shock. " You mean...you weren't sure of that phasing-through-walls thing working ?"

Q Junior's face reddened. " I didn't really have a choice...I had to try something."

"Which you did...and it worked," said Logan grudgingly "but we're not helping that group of idiots!"

Jean turned to him. " Logan; I know how upset you are but we really need to think this through..."

"They put two children in an airlock Jean!" cut in Logan "that to me is tantamount to attempted murder! If not for the mutant abilities of Q Junior and Laura this could have been a different story entirely!"

The doctor took a deep breath; she could see and feel his anger and he was beyond livid. She knew what he was going through for part of her still wanted to go back and find Saul Tigh and slowly throttle the life out of him.

But that would be the wrong thing to do; and abandoning them to their fate was also just as wrong.

"Logan," she began slowly " they have children on those ships."

He and the others turned to look at her.

"Yes...when I used the CMS to look for Laura and Q...I felt a lot of young, frightened minds.

Their parents may not be saints; but leaving them to the mercies of the cylons will make us all murderers as well."

Silence followed her words.

"We know what and who is out there; we can no longer hide behind ignorance as we first did when Q Junior showed us the surveillance of them fleeing."

Logan grimaced. Almost a month ago; he had given the order stating they should stay away from the two fighting factions. Then they had no idea who they were...but now they knew.

Jean looked at Laura, Logan and Q Junior. " At the age of 12 years I attended the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. I quickly learnt that the best goal in one's existence was to treasure life and help others less fortunate than me...even if they hated me for what I was...a mutant.

I lost sight of that goal in 2006 and went down a very dark path," she paused.

"I know we all have been through a rather rough time recently...so I ask you all to please search within yourselves for the right decision.

For me...I want to go back and help; because I feel that doing this...will help me atone for the 300 people I killed in 2006."

Logan felt shame and guilt as he saw the doctor's eyes wet eyes. She was blinking furiously.

He looked around to see Laura glaring at him. He had no trouble interpreting her expression.

_Congratulations dufus for making Jean cry!_

"Jean...I understand...but the colonials are going to be very hard to work with," said Logan.

The telepath nodded her head and looked at young teen girl beside her. "Laura; what do you think? You were hurt most by them...you get to vote as well."

Nothing was said for a while. " I also have list of names a mile long...guess this would be a good time to start a clean slate," said the girl wisely.

Logan looked at her in surprise. Hearing such words of wisdom from a girl of her age made him feel something he could barely remember...pride.

_She's definitely my kid._

"And Q Junior; how do you _honestly _feel about helping them now...even if this was your idea in the first place ?" asked Logan.

The boy looked at him in surprise. " I...I'm still kinda angry at them...and I now somehow understand why the other Q are reluctant to help them..."

Logan snorted. No surprise there.

"...but Jean is right...my past history has not been that...pristine...it's a good opportunity for me to start anew as well."

"Even if you remain as a hologram for the rest of your life?" asked Laura unexpectedly.

Q Junior looked at her for a long time. "Yeah...even if that is the price to pay," he said with firm determination.

Logan looked at the boy for several moments; Q turned to him.

"What of you sir ?"

Wolverine was silent as he weighed everything that had happened since they woke up in this time and place.

Life had a funny way of throwing one a curve ball but that did not mean he had to like it.

"I have listened to each one of you and...believe me when I say I understand where you're coming from.

But...I do not trust these colonials...I do not want to go back...but in this case the majority carries the vote."

The three people before him released sighs of relief.

"However bear in mind; we have to be extra careful and we must never let them take control of the Xavier; is that clear?"

Q Junior nodded rapidly. "Crystal sir."

Logan took a deep breath. "Okay...I can't believe we're really doing this...but Q you are going to have to tell us everything you know about the colonials and cylons."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**The Galactica, Medical Bay...**_

Once they left the debriefing rooms; Sharon felt her anxiety levels increase.

As their small subdued group walked to the medical bay she found herself fidgeting more and more. It worsened when the constantly harassed medical staff took Hotdog and Lee Adama away and left the other 4 colonial pilots to wait in a small cubicle with two small wooden benches.

"Sharon; what's wrong?" asked Helo with a combination of concern and grief on his face. Sharon lifted a hand to stroke his right cheek.

She wished she could erase the worry on his face; but only one thing could do that. The return of their daughter.

Suddenly she knew what she had to do.

"Athena ; whatever the frak you're thinking of doing; don't !" ordered Starbuck who was sitting beside her husband opposite Helo and Sharon.

The cylon glared at her. " What now? Have you also developed Dr Grey's abilities ?!"

Kara shook her head. " I know that expression Sharon; for I have seen it many a time staring back at me whenever I thought up a suicide stunt!"

"Girls; keep your voices down," pleaded Anders urgently.

His wife ignored him. " I know what you are thinking...a bullet to the brain and up you go to the resurrection ship in order to find Hera ?"

Helo gasped in alarm; Sharon glanced at him before leaning closer to Kara.

"And what if _that_ is what I'm thinking about ? Who are you to stop me?!"

"First of all Athena," hissed Kara " let's explain the frakked up flaws of your oh-so brilliant plan! Do you have any idea where a nearby resurrection ship may be?"

Sharon hesitated for several heartbeats before answering. "No."

"So; the nearest one could be out of range; is that correct?!" demanded Kara.

The female cylon maintained eye contact with the pilot as her heart sank. "Yes."

"Now; do I have to paint a frakking picture to explain that you might_ die for real_ if you commit suicide ? Thus blowing any real chance of us rescuing your daughter!"

Sharon looked away as the wetness in her eyes threatened to spill. She did not hear when Kara told her husband to move out of the way so that she could sit directly opposite Sharon.

"Listen...I swore that I would help you find Hera..."began Kara softly.

"How..." wailed Sharon softly "in the name of the Gods; tell me how!?"

Kara sighed wearily and looked at the floor before taking Sharon's hand. "I...I don't know...maybe the Xavier could help...if they come back."

Anders and Helo exchanged a worried look.

Kara caught the look between the two men; she had been in the fighter bay when her husband and Ensign Rogers appeared with the two children. She had noticed the girl's torn jeans and obviously large viper flight jacket with a sinking feeling in her chest that had changed to numbing fear when the guns and knives turned to face the colonials on the deck.

The livid look on Dr Grey's face had almost made her crap in her pants.

"Now that we're here; will you two tell us what the frak caused the Admiral to send an apology to the Xavier ?"

The two men looked at each other again.

"It's a long story...,"started Anders slowly.

Sharon and Kara looked at each other with mounting concern.

"Start from the beginning," said Sharon in a worried voice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

**Hi everyone; thanks so much for you reviews. It's really helping me a lot. Sorry this one is not as long as the others but I will increase the words as the story goes on.**

**Hope you like the new character I added in; wish me luck as I try to write about each of them ! Arghhh!**

**Please read and enjoy !**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of the Phoenix and The Wolverine

_**The Galactica, the CIC...**_

Admiral Adama read the reports that had been given to him by one of the Junior Lieutenants.

They had been in their present location for the past 4 hours and 12 minutes; and there was still no sign of the Xavier. The president had left the Galactica more than 3 hours ago and had immediately been summoned to a meeting with the Quorum of 12.

Admiral Adama had been asked to...no make that_ ordered _to attend and he had almost told them to go to Hades.

Instead he had explained in chilly polite tones that he needed to oversee the re-distribution of Tylium and also assess the readiness of the fleet to flee or fight. That had satisfied them for now; but he knew that it would not be long before the pack started baying for his blood once again.

As he glanced at the reports; a recent memory began to replay in his mind.

Adama had been able to complete the debriefing with the CAG, the Agathons; Anders; Kara and Hotdog but this time without the President.

The CAG had been present of course.

At the end of the very formal report; he had asked Helo and Sharon to remain behind.

For several seconds the three of them had stared at each other in silence.

Then Adama spoke first; he apologized for what both of them had gone through and stated he had not known what had been done with Hera.

"Sir," interrupted Helo softly " with all due respect...we were just assessed by Dr Cottle...I asked him point blank why he had done what he did," the colonial officer took a deep breath.

"He did not deny it and he also apologized; however he explained that you had no knowledge of it sir."

That news should have made him relieved but instead it made his heart sink even lower. "I appreciate that Captain, Lieutenant...you may go now."

The two saluted and left the office. It was after they had gone that he realized they had not demanded that they start a search for Hera.

It was days like this that really made him hate his job.

Adama shook his head. He had to concentrate on more immediate problems.

"Gaeta; what's the fuel status for all ships?"

"Deliveries have been made and all are ready to jump at your command sir."

The Admiral nodded. He looked at the DRADIS screen once more.

"There's nothing sir," said Gaeta softly.

I can understand why; thought Adama to himself.

"Fine; inform the other ships..."

"Admiral !" yelled one of the other junior lieutenant ; Adama looked at her " DRADIS contact! I think it's the...the Xavier!"

Adama felt his heart-rate pick up as murmurs of excitement and hope spread through the CIC.

"Put them on the viewscreen and magnify; any energy build-up?"

The Admiral waited tensely; praying and hoping the Xavier was not coming back to blow his fleet to pieces.

"Sir...our scans cannot really penetrate their hull...they are coming in really slow."

A non-attack vector then; thought Adama with some of his anxiety reducing; maybe things are looking up.

"Sir!" Adama turned to face his daughter-in-law , Dee " we're been hailed!"

The volume of the voices in the CIC dropped as most of the personnel turned to face the Admiral. He knew that if he looked at them; one emotion would stand out most of all.

Hope.

There was no doubt in his mind that most had already heard what had happened on the flight deck and what had led to it.

"Let's hear it," said Adama in a firm voice as he dreaded what the crew of the Xavier had to say.

Moments which seemed like hours passed before he heard a familiar voice which almost sounded Caprican.

"_This is Captain Logan on the Xavier...we accept your apology and wish to talk. How do you want to proceed ?"_

There was silence for several seconds then a wild whoop caused the entire CIC to erupt in heartfelt cheering.

On the Xavier main bridge; Logan exchanged a worried look with Jean, Laura and Q Junior.

"What is that racket?" said Logan.

"_It's my...our people rejoicing Captain_," promptly answered Adama.

Logan turned red when he realized he had forgotten the radio had been on when he asked the question. Jean looked amused; while Laura hid a smile and Q Junior coughed discreetly into his hand to cover up a laugh.

"_I, Admiral Adama welcome you aboard the Galactica what time frame would suit you?"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sharon woke up to the doorbell beeping incessantly.

Soon after the debriefing; her husband convinced her to take a short nap as she had been through a lot. He had gone back to his duties.

It had taken forever before she could fallen asleep and when she looked at her chronometer; it seemed like she had only managed 32 minutes of rest. She still felt extremely exhausted.

The pilot stood up and looked through the keyhole to see an anxious looking Starbuck. She opened the door.

"W...what's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"They are here...the Xavier came back!"

Immediately the sleep fled from her eyes as her brain finally realized what the pilot had said.

"Give me a moment to change."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**The Galactica, Main Flight deck ; 2 hours later...**_

Commander Lee Adama tried to keep himself calm as he waited beside his father on the deck.

There were a good number of marines present; a lot less than last time and Lee had picked the most cool headed ones that he could find.

The Admiral had stated firmly that he did not want a repeat of what happened last time.

Lee did not know what to expect; he had been sceptical when he got the call that the Xavier was back and that the Captain wanted to speak with the Admiral.

He found it hard to believe that all was forgiven.

For if their roles were reversed; his first instinct would have been to nuke the offending party.

Maybe that was why the old man was admiral and he was just a plain commander.

"Here it comes," he heard one of the marines mutter.

Once again the sleek strange 'shuttle' crept onto the flight deck. Despite seeing it before; this time it looked meaner and more mysterious.

Lee refused to believe that Dr Grey had 'lifted' the guns and knives with her mind. This was Kara's view thanks to the experience of her crew on board the Xavier.

There had to be some 'powerful' weapon attached to the shuttle which carried out that function. Lee found himself trying to take in every detail of the shuttle. He so wanted to take a look at its engines but he had a funny feeling that there was a very slim chance of that happening.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the ship came to a complete stop.

Inside the ship; Logan looked at the pilot beside him.

"You ready for this?"

Q Junior let out an uneasy breath. " Not really."

The captain stretched his neck side to side and the movement produced an audible metallic chink sound.

"Well; let's face the music."

Once they had decided on coming after the Colonial Fleet; Q had tried to give a quick summary of what they may be facing.

Most of it was difficult for Logan to take in and only 'telephatic' reassurances from Jean stopped him from snorting in disbelief.

At the end of Q's analysis of the cylons and colonials; Logan swore to himself that he was going to get the male teen to write up a damn report in a language he could understand.

Then they concentrated on who would have the first official meeting with the colonials; Logan stated firmly it would be him and Q Junior.

To his surprise; the two female crew members agreed without much fuss.

The next thing of importance that Jean and Laura started talking about was about making the right impression.

Logan and Q Junior had agreed with them until the two females fully explained what they had meant.

Clothes.

"Excuse me?" asked Logan when he finally found his voice.

Jean had gone on to state that he could not show up in threatening attire and suggested a neutral look.

"I'm not exactly joining them for tea...let's not forget that some of them did put Laura and Q Junior in an airlock," pointed out Logan through gritted teeth.

Jean and Laura had exchanged a tired look.

"Look; old man. I get what Jean is trying to say. You go in looking mean and bad and someone is going to try and use you for target practice.

You need to wear something like a light _**pink..." **_Logan raised an eyebrow at the suggested colour "jean shirt with rolled up sleeves and maybe black jeans; the combat boots are okay but the leather jacket stays off so that they will_ think _ you're not carrying any weapons."

For emphasis she popped her claws and retracted them in less than 6 seconds.

Logan found himself nodding. " Nice idea; but it'll be a _**blue**_ shirt; thank you."

Laura grinned mischievously at him. " Where's the fun in that ?"

"What about me?" asked Q Junior nervously. The other three looked at him for a while.

"Q; you said you were an ensign onboard the Voyager ?" asked Logan.

"Yeah; and...,"his face cleared as he suddenly realized what they wanted " you want me back in uniform ?"

"You were never discharged from duty; were you ?" asked Laura.

"No...I wasn't."

"Good then that's settled...if this next contact goes well; we need to contact Starfleet and alert them on what is coming their way...Q what's wrong?" asked Logan when he saw the teen's face go pale.

"Em...about contacting Starfleet...we might have a problem there," said Q Junior.

"In what way?" asked Jean.

Q Junior closed his eyes for a brief moment and explained. "At the start of this intervention...the plan was that if you agreed to help the colonials...I would transport myself using my Q powers to Starfleet headquarters and inform my godmother that the Colonial Fleet was heading to Earth.

However; in my current form I have to wait for us to get close enough to Earth; before sending a message."

"You're telling me; we can't send a message from this distance?" asked Logan in disbelief " what of when you were stuck in the Delta Quadrant and had to communicate with Starfleet through an obscure satellite ?"

Q Junior rubbed his forehead; he could feel a migraine coming on. "It's not that simple...we could send the message but it might be intercepted by the cylons thus giving away our location _which_they may be able to trace back to us.

Though we have a more technologically advanced ship; they have the numbers which could destroy this ship and also attack the Colonial Fleet."

This was met by silence. Logan glanced at the doctor.

"He has a point," said Jean softly. _**He's also telling the truth.**_ She added on telepathically.

Logan rubbed his face wearily. "Let's find the Galactica and then afterwards we can worry about getting hold of Starfleet."

The Captain's mind returned to the present as he walked down the ramp with Q Junior not far behind.

He had dressed in a blue jean shirt with rolled up sleeves exposing his thickly muscled forearms with black jeans and his black combat boots. The metallic 'X' emblem was over his left breast area.

Q Junior on the other hand was in smart looking black slacks with a red jumper uniform which had the Starfleet emblem on his left breast area.

The ensign button was on the right collar; while his holo-emitter was over his left shoulder

After a few hurried tests; they had reached the conclusion that he did not need it to move outside the ship after-all; but Logan had advised him to wear it.

Just in case.

The young male teenager also carried what looked like a leather folder.

Quite a number of marines felt their heart rates pick up when they saw the innocuous looking folder.

After what happened last time; one could hardly blame them for suspecting it of being a weapon of some sort.

Logan scanned the group waiting for them; this time no one was pointing weapons. He suppressed a smirk as he recalled what had happened the _first _time. It was not long before he saw who was waiting for them at the front of the colonials.

He glanced at Q Junior beside him; who took a deep breath and nodded.

The boy's body language radiated anxiety; he was trying hard to hide it.

Logan could not help but feel sorry for the young man.

"Relax kid; after what you're been through; this is just a stroll in the pack," whispered Logan reassuringly.

"Yes, captain," answered Q Junior as he tried to inject confidence into his voice.

Logan nodded and started walking towards the colonials.

Admiral Adama stood straight as Captain Logan and the boy called Q Junior walked towards them.

From Kara's and Ander's debriefing; Captain Logan and Dr Grey were the guardians of the young male teenager. He wondered if the boy was an orphan and what his role was aboard the ship.

He noticed the neutral outfit of the captain and the almost military outfit of the young teen. At the moment there weren't any obvious weapons but all that could change at the wrong word or action.

Beside him; he could feel President Roslin and Vice President Zarek straighten up as the two members of the Thirteenth Tribe approached.

He had advised the two to wait aboard Colonial One while he met with the two visitors for the first time.

As he expected; they ignored his advice. Adama hoped and prayed no one did anything stupid.

Second chances were exceedingly rare in life.

Captain Logan and the young boy stopped approximately 7 feet from the Admiral and the two leaders of the 12 Colonies.

Now that they were standing face to face; Adama could see the hard grey eyes of the man called Logan and the nervous eyes of the young male teenager.

"Admiral Adama," started Logan in a slow drawl " permission to come aboard?"

The question surprised and pleased everyone who heard it.

Adama inclined his head.

" Permission granted captain ," said the Admiral with a small smile.

Logan nodded. " You already know me," he turned to the boy beside him "this is Ensign Q Junior; a member of Starfleet. He's our Engineer."

Admiral Adama had numerous questions already.

Starfleet ? How did such a young boy become an engineer? And why bring him to a very important meeting?

Instead he turned towards the President. "This is President Roslin and Vice President Zarek," he paused " you're already met my son Commander Lee Adama."

Logan nodded at the President and Vice President; then looked at Lee.

"Yes; I definitely remember the Commander."

Lee compressed his lips in a tight line; clearly he was still worried about the AI aboard the Xavier.

Logan wondered how he would react when he found out what Q Junior was.

"If you would please accompany us to a conference room...however I would ask if you would please leave all weapons behind," said Admiral Adama.

Logan and Q looked at each other.

"Admiral; all large weapons are in the Delta Flyer," Logan pointed at the shuttle " however; I'm a soldier first and second and thus still 'practically' a weapon. Does that mean the meeting will not be possible ?"

Adama sensed the unrest the latter words caused among the marines nearby.

"No...do I have your word that the meeting will take place peacefully?"

Logan looked at him for several moments.

"You have my word...as long as no one tries to harm my crew or I."

Adama nodded and looked at the president and vice president.

"You have our word," said Roslin firmly.

The Captain looked at her for several moments.

"Then we accept the meeting."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Logan kept his hands loose and free as he walked with Q Junior in the midst of an honour guard of four marines.

More like human 'watchdogs' who carried what was suspiciously similar to a FN P90 submachine gun of 21st century Earth.

Their weapons were clearly 200 years behind to Starfleet's current hand-held weapons.

They followed the Admiral , Commander Adama ( had to be a relative; the resemblance was uncanny), President Roslin and Vice President Zarek to a sizable room.

There were two people waiting in the room as well. A man in colonial uniform and a young woman in a blue silk blouse and black skirt.

"This is Lieutenant Gaeta and the Presidents PA; Tory Foster."

The woman looked nervously at Q Junior whose expression went blank when her name was mentioned.

Logan glanced at Gaeta then moved his attention to the PA.

He had heard about when a colonial officer called Anders and a woman called 'Tory Foster' had tried to interrogate Laura and Q.

The Captain nodded his head; taking note of the woman.

However despite him keeping his expression as blank as possible; the woman seemed even more nervous when she noticed him looking at her.

Logan smelt numbing fear.

Oh wonderful; we haven't even started talking yet; thought Wolverine wearily.

"Please be seated," said President Roslin in a pleasant manner.

It took only a few moments for everyone to get seated. Logan and Q Junior sat beside each other and ended up facing Admiral Adama; President Roslin and her Vice president and Commander Adama.

Lieutenant Gaeta and Ms Foster were behind the colonials with what looked like notepads and lab tops.

Meanwhile two marines were stationed behind Logan and Q Junior while the other two were on either side of Lieutenant Gaeta and the PA.

They remained standing.

So as to give them a clear view of fire in case this meeting goes south; thought Wolverine.

For a few seconds the two groups stared at each other.

The President Roslin looked at the Admiral who nodded.

She turned back to Logan.

"Captain...it's obvious that we started off on the wrong foot..."

The Captain kept quiet.

"...once again I wish to express regret for the earlier events and please understand that we are looking into it."

Logan looked at each of them.

"The XO, Colonel Saul Tigh is under investigation?"

He noticed the barely there flicker of expression on the lined face of the Admiral. The XO was either his very close friend or a very troublesome enemy.

"Yes...but he has been under a lot of stress lately," said Roslin.

Logan looked at the table then looked up and nodded. "I see."

In reality; he did not see at all.

However he felt it was time he laid out some facts.

"Well...I have a couple of things to tell you. We're going to be quite honest with you."

The Admiral frowned at Logan's choice of words.

"My crew on the Xavier is currently listening in on this conversation."

Roslin and Zarek exchanged an uneasy glance; while the Admiral's eyes narrowed.

"Is that necessary?" asked Zarek.

Logan's answering smile did not have any warmth in it. "Oh yes; just as necessary as it is for you to have an entire room of marines next door _who just _happen to be watching and listening to this very conversation."

Next door Lieutenant Ann Lackay gasped as she watched the wide screen monitor. She turned to look at the roomful of heavily armed marines who also looked stunned.

"How did he know?" asked one of the marines.

"It doesn't matter; just keep quiet and listen," everyone looked at Captain Agathon. Beside him was Lieutenant Anders and a anxious looking Ensign Buck Rogers.

The Admiral had placed the three of them in charge of the listeners next door.

"Yes sir," said the marine who had asked the question.

In the conference room; the Admiral was speaking.

"Captain Logan...this type of contact was not something any of us was prepared for...mistakes have been made...fortunately no lives have been lost.

However; we cannot let go of caution because we have contacted the Thirteenth Tribe; our distant brothers and sister."

Logan sighed. "I'm sure by now your Lieutenant Starbuck has explained that Earth is not known as the Thirteenth Colony of Kobol."

Adama opened his mouth to speak; but Roslin beat him to it.

"But how is that possible? Was the Ancient Kobol Lore lost during the Great Exodus ? That was only 4000 years ago!"

The Captain grimaced. "Mrs President; forgive me when I say this...but I have no idea what you're talking about.

According to our scientists; historians and even most religious leaders state..." their expressions seemed to change at the word 'religion' "...that human life originated on Earth and not out here."

His words were met by silence.

In the room next door; a few of the marines began to mutter words such as 'that's sacrilege!".

"Quiet!" barked Helo; then there was silence.

Logan watched as the President tried to regain her composure. His words had left her quite shaken.

"You mentioned religion...what faith do you follow?" asked Zarek.

Logan raised an eyebrow. I should have seen this coming.

Before coming to the Galactica; he , Jean and Laura had argued about what to tell the colonials. Strangely enough; Q Junior had stood by as the argument raged on. Then he finally added his own advice when he got tired of listening.

"Tell them the truth."

They had stared at him.

"Look...I didn't explain what I _really was_ and that got us all in a whole lot of trouble...tell them the truth and it's up to them to accept it or not.

Because; if they truly want to get to Earth; they are going to have to get ready to accept many _strange _things."

Wolverine's mind returned to the present.

"We're going to bring religion into this ? Why are you asking me that question?"

Zarek's eyes narrowed. " You didn't answer the question..."

"And I chose not to answer it because I'm pretty sure that whatever answer I give you is bound to make you utter some useless command that will end up with someone seriously hurt or worse !" said Logan coldly.

The ex-convict found himself backing down from the fury in the captain's eyes.

Logan was not done. "Wars have been fought on Earth over religion...countless lives have died for it; so understand me when I state I am not in a hurry to start another one."

Admiral Adama held up a placating hand.

"We have valid reasons for these questions Captain."

Logan looked at him with a suspicious light in his eyes.

"Oh really? Well here's mine. Why do you seek Earth?"

Adama looked at the President; after several seconds she nodded for him to continue.

The Admiral took a deep breath. " 60 years ago; the scientists of the 12 colonies of Kobol created the Cybernectic Lifeform nodes; a.k.a cylons. They were useful as cannon fodder for handling terrorists attacks and rebellions. Then we began to use them for menial jobs etc.

What we did not realize was how smart they were becoming; they gradually began to resent how we treated them as slaves and this led to a revolution.

6 years later; we had the 1st cylon war; it lasted 12 and a half years; at end of it the official tally was 41 million dead, hundreds of thousands missing.

The war ended suddenly; neither side a winner; but we drew up the Cimtar Peace Accord," he paused " we built a space station to which we would send a representative each year to maintain diplomatic relations."

He looked at Logan " We sent someone each time; but the cylons never showed...then 2 years ago; our defensive system which was networked was infiltrated by a virus. We lost defense of the skies and the 12 colonies was bombarded from orbit with nukes.

20 billion lives were lost."

Silence followed his words.

"At the time the number of survivors was less than 60,000...now two years on after numerous engagements with the cylons... we have less than 43,000 survivors remaining.

That's why we need to find the 13th Colony; Earth. We're done with running."

Logan looked at him in shock for several seconds.

Q Junior had told him briefly of the massive genocide but hearing it from the Admiral made it a lot worse and more real.

Even when he had walked down the corridor with the guards; he had noticed the sunken cheeks and thin frames but that did not hide the light of hope in their eyes.

Logan sighed. " You guys have been through hell...I can see that...but the cylons also want Earth...why is that?"

"We're not entirely sure...we think they may just want to wipe out all mankind," said Roslin.

"Ma'am... if that is the case; then taking you there is going to lead them straight to our homeworld."

The Admiral sighed inwardly. He had known this would be a problem.

"But...your weapons can handle it," said Zarek.

Logan stared at him. "Maybe...but what are the numbers of the cylons? How many ships do they have ? That's the data that one needs if you aim to win a war."

"We don't know what their fleet capability is" answered Admiral Adama.

Wolverine nodded; he had suspected as much but he had to ask.

"Are you in the military captain?" asked the CAG.

Logan looked at him; he was wondering when the young commander was going to talk.

"Not at the moment; however Ensign Q Junior is a member of Starfleet."

Everyone's attention was now drawn to the young male teenager who had kept quiet during the talking.

"Starfleet ?" asked Roslin " please explain."

Logan nodded for the teenager to compile.

"It's a deep space exploratory; peacekeeping and military armada maintained by Earth ; which is in turn a member of the United Federation of Planets."

"United Federation of Planets? Those are your colonies I expect? How many are there?" asked Zarek with interest.

Q Junior exchanged an uneasy look with Logan.

"Mr Vice president; the members of the Federations are not its colonies...but its alien allies which number more than 180 planets."

The colonials stared at Q Junior in shock.

"Aliens?" asked Commander Adama in a voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes commander; most have been members of the Federation for more than 100 years..."

"Is this some type of joke?" interrupted Zarek harshly.

Logan glared at him. "This is certainly not a joke; Mr Vice President.

Earth has not been completely alone for the past 300 years; they did find life _out there_ ."

"But; our ships never found any other life-form," protested Commander Adama.

"Maybe they were looking in the wrong place," said Q Junior " I have with me paper documents about the different aliens who are Earth's allies and those who are their enemies."

He opened the folder while ignoring the tense forms of the marines behind him. Logan on the other hand looked at the marines with a small smile of his face.

They stared back at him expressionless; Logan was not bothered by that.

He was simply assessing how dangerous they could be if someone started shooting.

Once again he thanked God that Jean and Laura had agreed to stay on the Xavier.

Q Junior passed on the sqaure shaped documents to the colonials in-front of him.

"Also there is something else that you should be aware of...though the people of Earth may be related to you...4000 years has brought some changes to their general physique."

Admiral Adama looked sharply at him. " In what way?"

"Mutants," the answer came from Logan.

"Millennia ago; people with special abilities were either destroyed or ...thought quite highly of..." he had been about to say worshipped then he realized some hot head fanatics may be listening.

"However mutants began to increase in number due to an evolutionary change that was taking part and also due to man's use of radioactive materials for nuclear reactors and tactical weapons etc...this caused the evolution to speed up."

Roslin adjusted her glasses. "I don't understand."

Logan sighed inwardly. I'm going to get a bullet for sure.

"Mrs President; I'm a mutant and human."

Adama watched him closely. He could tell the captain was about to tell them something very important.

"Contrary to what you may believe...those weapons floating in the flight bay was due to Dr Grey's mental abilities of telekinesis."

They looked blankly at him.

"Fine...please watch my hands."

Logan put both elbows on the table with the hands pointing upwards towards the ceiling. "Please do not be alarmed."

Then he slowly began to clench his fists as the adamantium blades slid free.

"Good Gods!" muttered Roslin in shock. Ms Tory Foster cried in alarm while Gaeta went deathly pale.

Q Junior turned round as he heard the marines grip their weapons.

Admiral Adama sat still; as his son stared open mouthed at Logan. Zarek was equally speechless.

In the adjacent room; the marines swore and some gripped their weapons tightly. One of them turned to Helo.

"Sir! We need to go in there now...!"

"No," said Anders firmly " see how calm the captain is; if he had meant to do something he would not be sitting that still!"

"But sir..."began one of the other marines.

"He's right," agreed Ensign Rogers but his face was quite pale " we wait. The Admiral's orders were for us to go in if he was been threatened... and it does not look like that to me."

"Stand down people," stated Helo; his attention fixed on the wide-screen monitor.

In the conference room; Logan stared at their shocked expressions.

"I was born with bone claws...but the military I was enlisted in..._decided_ to make me a _better_ soldier...so I had metal bond to my skeletal frame," he quickly retracted the claws before the thin female president had a heart attack. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair; ignoring the smell of terror from the marines behind him.

Roslin was looking at him in horror. " Your military ? Starfleet ?"

Logan shook his head. "Oh no; not Starfleet. The military that did this is dead and gone...for a good reason."

"Your daughter has similar...weapons; you let them do that to her?" asked Zarek in a choked voice.

The Captain looked at him with cold eyes. "What makes you think that I agreed to the **_procedures _**?"

In the other room; Anders and Helo looked at each other in horror.

How old had Laura been when she had undergone the procedure ? How painful had it been?

The Admiral kept staring at Logan. This was a very angry man; who could also be quite dangerous. He had heard the controlled rage in the man's voice. He could bet that the people who had done the _enhancement _ on Logan and his daughter were dead.

He wondered how they had met their end.

"What else can you tell us of the mutants?" asked Admiral Adama in a calm voice.

Ah. He's trying to analyse a potential threat, thought Logan.

"I'll give you a brief history...early in the 20th century; governments around Earth began to notice that more mutants were been born day by day. Their scientists soon realized it was linked to radiation.

Despite this; we used nukes in the 2nd World War on one country which continued to suffer the impact of such a weapon long after the war ended.

Then we had reactors; some had unfortunate accidents..."

The colonials grimaced at the word.

"...while others kept working but this was steadily increasing the amount of radiation released into the atmosphere.

Soon came along the mutant registration act fiasco...at the time of 2006; there were over 30 million mutants in a population of 6 billion people on Earth," he paused.

"The government in the country I was in was trying to push this act through while also trying to sell a 'mutant cure.'"

Admiral Adama sat up; in his mind he wished he had got Dr Cottle to sit in with them.

Logan continued. " However this cure was temporary...then things got really hairy when another war broke out in 2012. The Eugenics War.

The governments had been creating human sentinels to solve the mutant problem. These 'sentinels' turned on their creators and decided both non-mutants and mutants were beneath them.

The war lasted 4 years and 37 million lives were lost."

He paused. "The outcome was that the sentinels lost and the mutant registration act was thrown out.

Fast-forward to 2049 and we had the Third World war.

The companies that ran the countries went to war against each other using nukes and chemical warfare on the surface of Earth.

Death toll was 600 million with countless others affected by radiation poisoning. Those that survived had children and now in the year of 2382AD; 8 out of every 10 humans is a mutant."

Q Junior could not help but look at Logan in amazement. It looked like the Captain had been doing a lot of reading.

Lee Adama could not help but rub his forehead. This was just too much to take in. Part of him wanted to yell and ask the Captain if he thought they were idiots for falling for such lies but another part of him warned him to listen.

For if half of what the man before him said was true...then the fleet on a whole had to tread very carefully.

There was silence as the colonials tried to absorb what had just been said.

"What I just told you...is a drop in the bucket of information about Earth; then we have the other races...the Vulcans; the Klingons; the Andorians; the Romulans and so many others.

Coming to Earth will bring you in contact with a lot of different cultures...as well as expose our world to the Cylons.

Do you still want go to Earth ?" stated Logan plainly.

Admiral Adama stared at the man before him.

It was true that there was lot of information to process; part of him was amazed that the Captain had even told them of some of Earth's significant wars and injustices. In his mind he compared the human 'sentinels' to the 'cylons'.

Yet the second part of him wondered at what else they had not been told about.

"Captain...you know why we're here...this far from our former homes.

Why are you and your ship in this place and at this time?" asked Roslin.

Logan looked at her and gave an approving small smile; clearly acknowledging the intelligence of the woman before him.

Not a puppet then; thought the mutant.

"A valid question Madam President...Dr Grey; my daughter and I are on our way back to home ...to Earth...we're been away for far too long."

"For how long exactly ?" asked Zarek as he pounced on the last few words.

Logan seemed to relax in his seat as he gave his answer in a calm voice.

"Three hundred and seventy two years."

One could have heard a pin drop; then one of the marines cursed.

"There is a logic explanation for that!" yelled Q Junior as he stood up quickly and held out a placating hand to the marines behind him who were about to shoot.

"Marines stand down," growled Admiral Adama without taking his eyes from Captain Logan who continued to sit calmly with his forearms crossed across his chest. He looked so calm and relaxed as if he was simply taking in the view.

Of a small group of frightened colonials before him.

The marines slowly relaxed their fingers over the triggers.

In the other room; a stunned Rogers looked at a pale Anders. "What the frak did he just say?"

Helo was simply ordering the marines to back down; his gut instinct was telling him that there was no danger but his heart was hammering in fear.

"Ensign Q; you can sit down now," said Logan in a calm voice.

The boy glared at him and sat down.

"Admiral; Madam President; what Captain Logan neglected to explain is that three of them were put in cryosleep and stored in stasis pods in 2006."

Everyone stared at him.

"They were taken from Earth. I retrieved them and woke them up 4 weeks ago."

Adama's eyes widened at the revelation; cryosleep was something colonial scientists had researched and experimented with long before the Holocaust. All attempts had been unsuccessful; it was hard to believe that the Thirteenth Tribe had succeeded where their brethren had failed.

Then he remembered how a single missile from the Xavier had destroyed a basestar.

Maybe it was not so impossible afterall.

"And why were they put in cyrosleep? Who put them in cyrosleep ?" demanded Zarek; firmly in his interrogator role.

Q Junior looked at him; the man's tone was beginning to annoy him.

"Sir; that information is classified," said the teen in a firm voice.

Starfleet had something to do with their retrieval; thought the Admiral.

For what purpose ?

_Adama's_ eyes moved to the mutant who was still calmly observing them.

And why had the Captain been so ready to tell them what he was and the fact that he had been in cyro sleep ?

This is a test, realized Adama suddenly.

A test of tolerance.

If we refuse to accept them or work with them...how do we expect to work with the people of the Federation who may be aliens ?

Adama did not know what to make of the thought of real life aliens but his gut instinct was telling him that Captain Logan and Q Junior were not lying.

He wondered which other surprises were yet to be revealed.

The Admiral's mind came back to the present as Zarek verbally attacked the teenager in what had to be a Starfleet uniform.

"And you have access to this so called _classified information_ ? A child such as you?"

Q Junior glared at the vice president and for one brief moment; Adama saw that this _mere boy _was more that he appeared to be.

"First of all _sir; _ let me properly introduce myself," stated Junior in a chilly mature tone.

Excellent; here it comes; thought Logan amusingly.

"I'm not human; I'm a hologram."

That got everybody's attention.

The two marines behind him seemed to tense up at the last words.

"Oh frak," muttered Lieutenant Ann Mackey as she covered her mouth in shock.

Adama looked at the Captain who had an amused look on his face.

"I did say we were going to be _quite _honest with you."

"A hologram," breathed Roslin in shock.

Q Junior swung his gaze her way. "Yes Madam President."

Then his form flickered for a few seconds so that everyone could see through him.

This caused most of the marines to gasp in dismay and disbelief.

"Marines hold!" ordered Adama in a firm voice; he did not have to turn round to see them reaching for their guns.

Q Junior continued unperturbed by their expressions. "A holographic computer program. My form is of course fully sentient."

Logan could not help but smile at the coolness in the teen's voice.

"You should not have brought that...abomination here!" snapped Zarek; his face red with anger.

The smile disappeared from Logan's face as he turned to face the irate vice president.

"And why?" he asked calmly.

Zarek pointed at Q Junior. "That thing put one of our marines in the medical bay; it took him four hours to wake up!"

"The reason he ended up in the medbay in the first place was because your XO tricked us into an airlock which was then exposed to space," countered Q Junior in a calm cold voice "and I _recall _that I only knocked him out. He did not sustain any serious injury."

Logan turned to the teen beside him. " You put_ only _one marine in hospital ?"

Q Junior opened his mouth to protest that he was only defending himself and Laura when he realized Logan was indirectly scolding him for a different reason.

"Wait...wait; you're upset because I didn't put _more of them _in hospital?!"

The Colonials joined Q Junior in staring at the captain in shock.

"Kid; if it had been me...I would have had a lot_ less restraint._"

Then Logan turned to look at the Vice President with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"I also seem to recall that when my daughter and Q Junior were put in that airlock; you were present and did not lift a single finger to stop the XO.

Now; why did that happen ? Is it colonial policy to _put _all visitors in an airlock and expose them to the harshness of space ?"

"I...no," said Zarek lamely as he retreated from the barely masked fury in Captain Logan's eyes.

The Admiral saw the anger in the Captain's eyes and found himself thanking the Lords of Kobol that they had met the teenagers first.

This meeting has to end now before someone gets hurt; thought Admiral Adama.

"People...we have covered a lot in the last...hour." Adama hid the surprise he felt at the amount of time that had passed.

"I think; it's time we called it a day...and met again in about 12 hours time ?"

He looked at the President who nodded in agreement; Zarek and Lee Adama also seemed to be in agreement.

Logan sighed. " I guess that's a good idea...just one more thing."

Adama braced himself for any more shocking revelations.

"Where's the phaser; tricorder and subdermal replicator that was taken from Q Junior ? We would like them back."

The Admiral blinked. He had not expected that.

He looked at the Captain; he appeared very calm and was definitely not going to take no for an answer.

"We can arrange for the equipment to be delivered to you in the flight deck before you depart."

He knew that Anders who was next door would be working towards retrieving the mentioned objects immediately from Tyrol and his crew.

Logan stared at him for several moments. "Fair enough."

Q Junior could not hide the relief on his face.

"I'll prepare more notes for the next meeting...was there anything in particular that you wanted to know more of ?"

Oh lots ; thought Admiral Adama; like what your ship is truly capable of.

"Yes...we would appreciate more information on your religions and political system," said Roslin as she tried to maintain a calm expression.

Q Junior looked at the captain who nodded. "I'll get that for the next meeting."

Then the Captain and the hologram stood up.

Admiral Adama stood as well. "Captain...this is a difficult time for us all; however we each have taken the first steps. Thanks for your honesty."

Then to the shock of everyone; Admiral Adama stuck out his right hand.

Logan stared at it for a while then slowly reached out his right hand to shake the Admiral's hand. The grip was firm and neither man tried to crush each other's hand in order to express their masculinity.

"Maybe...we will be able to work together Admiral," said Logan with grudging respect for a leader who had the courage to shake a man with adamantium blades.

The tension in the room seemed to reduce significantly as the men shook hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Galactica; Main flight deck...**_

Lee Adama released a sigh of relief as he watched the shuttle leave with Captain Logan and Q Junior.

"Well; that went well," drawled a familiar voice.

Lee looked at his father in surprise. "Went well !?," he looked around to check no one was listening.

"Sir; with all due respect; were you at the same meeting we just had ?!" He asked in a whisper.

Admiral Adama did not answer for a long time as he watched the sleek alien ship leave. "No shots were fired despite all we heard...no one got hurt..despite what happened to his daughter..." Lee winced at the not-so subtle reminder.

"Trust me son...it went a lot better than I expected."

Lee found himself nodding reluctantly.

"What now ?"

"We send them the next jump co-ordinates and have the second meeting in 12 hours; which gives us more than enough time to go over the documents the ensign left us."

Lee swallowed nervously as he thought of the hologram who looked so much like a human child.

Who could also move through walls and throw veteran marines who were twice his size and apparent age.

Then his surly captain with surgically implanted blades of sharp steel in his forearms. A man who had apparently been just woken from cryo sleep.

The CAG was not sure who to be scared of more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**The Delta Flyer Beta...**_

"Well that went well," said Logan with a sigh of relief as Q Junior flew the shuttle back to the Xavier.

The boy snorted. " Went well? Yeah right! It's a miracle they didn't try to use us for target practice !

What were you thinking ?! That it would be a good idea to piss them off!?"

Logan raised an eyebrow. The boy sounded truly ticked off.

"Is that why you didn't tell them you're a Q?" he asked sceptically.

Q Junior glared at him as he piloted the craft. "Obviously; considering the fact that you were doing all you could to make them mad!"

Logan laughed coldly. " Trust me kid; if I had been trying to get them upset...I would have gone hunting for Colonel Tigh."

Q Junior gave him a worried look. " For one second I thought you were going after the Vice President."

The captain was silent for a while as he thought of the snide expression on Zarek's face. "I was sorely tempted to...we need to keep an eye on him.

His anger is troubling and he's not going to play fair."

"Now you sound like a Betazoid," commented Q Junior drily.

"You mean those telepaths and empaths ? Wonder what they would make of these colonials," Logan sighed as the view of the Xavier came closer.

"This journey is not going to be easy."

"I know," said Q Junior quietly with a disturbed look on his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**The Galactica, Crew quarters...**_

"That did not go as I expected," said Helo as he and Anders walked towards the Agathons' quarters.

Anders laughed drily. " Ya think? I almost crapped in my pants when his..." he looked around, there was no one following them "...claws slid out."

He shook his head. " And the boy is...I can't even say it. No wonder he went ballistic when Laura got hurt."

Helo nodded. A lot of things now made sense.

If what they heard was true; then Ensign Q Junior was the protector of the three 'mutants' and maybe his mission was to get them back to Earth.

But why put them to sleep for more than 300 years; what had they been woken up for ?

Helo was worried the fleet had stumbled upon a black ops mission of the Thirteenth Tribe. What he was constantly amazed by was that the 3 members of the Thirteenth Tribe and the...hologram were ready to help the fleet despite been on a high level mission.

The two men stopped before the Agathons' quarters.

Both men looked at each other nervously.

Behind that door were their two very angry wives.

Earlier on when the Xavier had re-established contact; Sharon and Kara had wanted to be part of the team that met the delegation from the ship.

Commander Lee Adama who had been in charge of the security for the flight bay had refused and threatened to throw both women in the brig if they appeared on the flight deck.

Helo and Anders had taken their wives aside and hastily convinced them to stay out of sight until the first crucial meeting was over.

The two women had agreed on one condition.

"We're going to have to tell them everything," said Anders quietly.

"We could get court-martialled," said Helo.

They shared a look. They both knew they did not have a choice.

Helo rang the door bleep system; after answering he and Anders walked in.

Inside; Sharon moved back from the door; while Kara stood up from the chair she was sitting.

"What happened ?" asked Starbuck in a manner which also stated they better not leave anything out.

Helo rubbed his aching forehead. "I think we're all going to need something to drink first."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

**Hi everyone; thanks for your reviews and advice.**

**Wow! I did not realize it would be so hard to put to paper how the colonials would react to mutants ! However there are more shocks to come for everyone involved! **

**Please read and enjoy!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of the Phoenix and the Wolverine

_**The Basestar; Detention Cell Section 12X...**_

Baltar's horrified reaction to the fellow prisoner lasted for several moments before been replaced by increasing anxiety.

Senior Lieutenant Daniel Novacek had stared at him in disgust before turning away from him.

Baltar was still at loss for words.

8 years as a POW.

How many times had he been tortured ? Was he still sane ?

Baltar had been a prisoner for the past 4 weeks and he was already close to losing his mind. He felt a wave of dizziness come over him.

But there were questions that had to be answered; he slowly walked over to the bars to be closer to the other prisoner.

"You say...you've been a prisoner for eight years ?"

Daniel turned back to glare at him. "Who wants to know?"

"How...how is that possible? The cylon attack on the 12 colonies was only 2 years ago!?"

The lieutenant kept staring at him. "You know the answer to that cylon."

Baltar felt his anxiety turn to anger rapidly. "I'm not a cylon you idiot! I'm a prisoner like you...a colonial!"

Daniel smiled coldly. "Is that so ?" his voice was mocking " well if that's the case; pray tell me what's been happening in the colonies since I have been...away."

"You don't believe me," said Baltar in disbelief; he looked away then turned back to pilot. "Then...then I guess you are not aware of the cylons' attack from orbit with..."

"With an orbital bombarbment?!" cut in Daniel savagely "oh, Mr Baltar I am very aware. I was made to _watch_ as Gemenon was reduced to cinders; then Caprica and the others! I watched them all burn!"

Baltar fell silent; there was no more need for speculation; the lieutenant was insane.

"Then...why have they kept you alive ?"

Daniel stared at him for while before looking away. " I ask myself that every day," he turned back to Baltar "perhaps you could enlighten me as to the reason why?"

"I...I don't know why i'm still alive ...so how do you expect me to know the reasons for your being alive?"

The colonial pilot sighed. "You know for once; I was so hoping that one of you cylons would answer my..."

"I am not a frakking cylon!" screamed Baltar.

Daniel stopped speaking and stared at the scientist for several moments.

"You know what? If you shout long enough I bet you _will _eventually believe that."

Baltar signed in frustration at Daniel's cynical calm tone.

"What do I have to do to make you believe me ?"

The pilot snorted. "Don't bother; I've got better ways to waste my time."

Baltar tried to ignore the pilot's attitude. "Could you please at least answer a few questions of mine ?"

Daniel stared at him in disbelief. "Oh this is rich. You're asking me if I could _please_ answer a few questions ?"

Baltar was puzzled for a few moments then realized the absurdity of his request.

The lieutenant must have been interrogated; physically and psychologically and no cylon would have _politely _asked him to answer a few questions.

He could see the surprise in the man's eyes turn to suspicion and uncertainty before been replaced by a blank look.

Baltar pressed on; feeling that the uncertainty he had seen was a positive reaction in this situation.

"Look; I just want to know if you get regular visitors."

Daniel laughed coldly at the last word.

"Visitors ? Apart from the centurions who patrol this place 8 times a day...I don't see anybody else," he paused "by the way; why are you in this detention area?"

The scientist sighed. "I...I don't know; one moment I was sleeping ; the next I was woken up and brought here. I thought the centurions were going to kill me for sure."

Daniel said nothing as he took note of the fading bruises on Baltar's face. If this was a cylon trick; it was a very interesting one.

Maybe he should play along...for now.

"What happened after the bombarbment?"

"Huh?" asked Baltar taken off guard "I thought you knew...they showed..."

A pained look crossed Daniel's face for a brief moment. " yes, yes they showed me the bombarbment...but...I saw a few ships fleeing...if you're a...colonial then maybe you could..."his voice trailed off unsure of what to say next.

He also wants information thought Baltar; he wants to know if any of our people made it out alive.

The scientist came closer. "What would you like to know ?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What the frak is Cavil up to?" asked Caprica aloud as she tried for the tenth time to locate where Baltar had been moved to.

But each time she sent the request to the Hybrid; it gave her the following answer.

"Access denied."

Behind her D'anna and Boomer shared an anxious look; it had become obvious that the Caprica's codes now had limited access to different paths of the basestar.

That was very strange and worrying.

A loud bang had them turning towards their sister.

"Damn it! My codes are not working !" hissed Caprica in frustration as she slammed her hand against the computer interface.

"Six; let me try," said D'anna " maybe I can get some answers."

Caprica moved out of the way of the Three. It soon became obvious that the Three's codes were also denied as well as Boomers when she tried to help as well.

"He wants me to ask him...no he wants me to _beg_ him to see Gaius. I am going to kill him!" said Caprica angrily. She turned towards the door.

"Six wait!" she stopped and looked at D'anna "you're right he wants you to approach him on his own terms. You go after him now and I'm certain you're going to end up in a resurrection tank."

"While he does what he pleases," said Boomer softly; a thoughtful look on her face.

"Think Caprica! The three of us now have limited access to the rest of the basestar. This had never happened before; Cavil is up to something," said D'anna in a worried voice.

"So what ? You expect me to just wait !? For frakking what?!" shouted Caprica.

Before the Number Three could answer; a baby's cry was heard.

Boomer gave the two female cylons a tired look before going to attend the awakened baby.

Caprica sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Six; you need to get some sleep. You're not thinking straight ," said D'anna.

The six did not answer for a long time; she was watching Boomer trying to comfort Hera but the child kept crying even more.

That was when Caprica realized what she had almost done.

If she went to confront Cavil now; she was sure to get a bullet in the head. Thus giving Simon an opportunity to come after Hera.

Caprica could count the cylons that she trusted on one hand and Boomer was not in that small list.

D'anna was too busy worrying about only the Gods-knew-what so Six could not count on her watching over Hera; but Boomer was a different matter altogether.

Cavil had some hold over her and she could see the Eight giving up Hera to Simon on the One's command.

Baltar was very important to Caprica; but she was almost certain that Cavil would not have him killed as long as he appeared to be useful.

However Cavil had no such qualms concerning the cylon-human hybrid.

"You're right D'anna. I need to rest."

And she was going to do so; right next to Hera's cot with a gun under her pillow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**Private Quarters of a Number One Cylon...**_

Cavil smiled as he watched the two prisoners; Baltar and Novacek.

It was amusing how the colonial pilot suspected the scientist was a cylon; now to see what Caprica was up to.

He typed in commands to locate the female cylons; he did not have long to wait. She was in the medical bay.

The Number One's smile disappeared; of cause after eavesdropping on his conversation with Simon; she must have fled there to ensure the...child was safe.

However he was sure that once she heard of Baltar's removal; she would be tearing the basestar apart to find his new cell.

At least that would keep her out of his hair while he concentrated on more important things.

"Feeling quite pleased with yourself; aren't you ?" said a familiar female's voice.

Cavil bit back an irritated retort before turning to face a woman in a black gown who was sitting tied to an obviously uncomfortable straight backed chair.

"Well; _mother_ you should be ecstatic that I find joy in my work."

The woman in the chair clenched her fists as a look of fury appeared on her face. Cavil's smile grew broader as she struggled against the strong straps which bound her forearms to the rest arms of the chair.

"Ecstatic? The word you're searching for is disgust Cavil.

First you orchestrate genocide then you create strife and discord among your brothers and sisters.

This was not what we foresaw when we created you and the others!"

An ugly expression appeared on Cavil's face. "Oh really? What did you envisage ? Us living hand in hand with the colonials ? Or them being the masters while we continue as their slaves?"

The woman known as Ellen Tigh resisted the urge to scream as she tried to reason with her insane creation.

"Destroying the colonials will never bring you peace or happiness. You need to stop this madness before you destroy the cylon race!"

Cavil said nothing for a long while as he walked over to a tarp covered object which was 4 feet from Ellen. He drew back the tarp to expose a deactivated golden centurion.

The metal soldier was lying face down; the back of its metal head had been exposed. He stood and stared at the gleaming circuitry which represented the 'brain' of the centurions. Cavil picked up a micro-wrench.

"Mother; I would _never _destroy my people," he pulled out several wires viciously " I'll will make them stronger," he yanked out another micro-chip which caused a vial of clear fluid to rupture and stain his suit" and guide them to a better brighter future than the chaos you almost condemned us to."

Then gripping the tool like a dagger; he turned to face Ellen.

"Wouldn't you agree that my ways are best?"

Her eyes flickered between the now-damaged centurion and the insane light in Cavil's eyes.

She wisely said nothing.

_**The Xavier, Shuttle Bay...**_

Logan and Q Junior got off the shuttle to find Laura waiting for them in the bay.

"Welcome back," she said with a small smile "I'm amazed we didn't have to beam you guys out of there."

Before leaving the ship; both males had attached com-badges to their outfits and Jean had maintained a transporter lock on them the entire time they were on the Galactica.

"Well; thanks for not panicking; how's Jean?" asked Logan as the three made their way to the turbo-lift.

"She's on the bridge; by the by we received a short message from the Galactica; looks like their fleet is leaving this place soon. They sent us the new co-ordinates."

Logan nodded. "Sounds like the logical thing to do."

"How much history do you want them to have?" asked Q Junior suddenly.

"All of it."

Q Junior looked at him in surprise. " All of it?" he repeated.

"As long as it does not compromise Earth's security. Give them everything of man's evolution from eons ago to the present day."

Q Junior still looked a bit uncertain. "Including the recent war with the Dominion?"

Logan nodded curtly. "Especially that."

He had paid attention to the wars since 2006 and the Dominion war of 2373 to 2375 had been the worst the Federation had been involved in.

1.2 billion dead and more than half of that number had been on Cardassia.

Laura's voice brought him back to the present. "That's going to be a lot of paper for your next meeting."

Q Junior winced at the thought of the amount of paperwork. "Tell me about it."

Considering the distrust the colonials had for all things AI; giving them a memory chip loaded with megabytes of unknown data was sure to cause panic.

The colonials would probably accuse him of uploading a virus into the Galactica's computer.

Before long the three reached the bridge.

Dr Grey was still at the communication's section.

"Welcome back; I've uploaded the co-ordinates. The colonial ships have started to leave," said Jean.

Logan looked at the viewscreen; the colonial ships were disappearing one by one. In the end; the Galactica was the only one remaining.

"_Captain; we're receiving a transmission from the Galactica; audio only."_

"Thanks Xavier; patch it through," said Logan.

"_This is Commander Adama; I trust you have received the co-ordinates ?"_

"Yes we have," said Logan.

"_How long will it take for you to get there ?"_

Logan looked at Jean who telepathically sent him the answer.

"20 minutes and 24 seconds."

There was silence for a few seconds before the CAG replied.

"_Then; we'll see you on the other side, Galactica out."_

The crew members of the Xavier watched the battle-star disappear.

Laura turned a puzzled look in Logan's direction.

"Can we not get to the co-ordinates quicker then 20 minutes?"

"Yes we can," said Jean answering the question "but I think Logan wants to give the colonials some time to relax."

"That's a good idea; we did give them a lot to think about," said Q Junior as he leaned against "and we have barely told them anything about Earth and the Federation."

Silence followed his words.

"Well," started Logan " we've got less than 12 hours to get ready for the next round, " he looked at Jean and Laura. "Both of you need to get some rest; while Q..."

"Don't worry about me; I'm a hologram I don't need sleep; remember ?," said the male teenager.

Logan raised an eyebrow . " I was just about to say that," Q Junior's face reddened.

"So we can count on you on getting the necessary data ready for the colonials ?"

Q Junior nodded as he straightened up. "I guess you want us to go at a warp speed which will get us to the location in 20 minutes ?"

"Precisely...just make sure the good CAG did not give us the co-ordinates of a black hole or the inside of a star."

Laura smiled drily. "I can hardly wait till the next meeting."

Logan and Q Junior looked at her.

"You're not going," they said in perfect unison.

Jean hid a smile as the two males stared at each other in surprise while Laura glared at them.

"Excuse me? Why not?" she asked in a cold voice.

_Uh oh, she's getting very upset. _Said the Phoenix in a sing-song voice.

Jean decided to intervene before the two males said something stupid.

"Laura; it's the first series of talks; we need the colonials to get used to us before you step on that ship again."

Laura transferred the glare to the telepath.

"I can take care of myself."

"Yes Laura; there is no doubt about that...but please be patient. It's astonishing the colonials did not shoot these two when Logan decided to drop his little bombshell about his claws and the cryo-sleep," Jean glared at Logan who had the grace to look a bit embarrassed.

His 'demonstration' and the revelation of being away for 372 years had not been part of what the 4 of them had agreed to discuss with the colonials in the first meeting.

"Yeah; come to think of it; way to go old man," said Laura as her angry expression turned to a cynical smile "Jean was this close to beaming the two of you out of there. _Imagine_ how the colonials would have reacted to that."

"Look; I know it may have been a bit premature of me to tell them about how long we have been away...I just wanted to tell them as it is and see their reaction."

"Though I disagree with how it was done," added Q Junior " I see the logic in his 'blunt' approach. Maybe...the sooner we tell them of how Earth and the Federation truly is; the easier it will be for them to come to terms with the obvious differences.

Right now lack of information will add to the distrust and confusion."

Jean nodded gravely. She and Laura had heard and seen the shock on the colonials faces when Logan had stated Earth was the birthplace of humans and when he had shown what mutants could do.

"The last thing we need is for them to fear us," said Jean.

Logan sighed. "It's too late for that; they already fear us" in his mind he saw the heavily armed marines who had escorted them to the meeting and he had smelt the fear of the marines who had been waiting next door " because they don't understand what we are," he looked at Laura "that's why you and Jean cannot come to the Galactica yet."

Laura started frowning.

The captain held out a placating hand. "Scared people carry out dangerous and stupid actions. If things get better...then you can visit the Galactica. Please; trust me on this."

She looked at him for several moments.

"Fine."

He hid the relief he felt as he nodded.

"Now; we get some rest for the next 6 hours. Then we discuss how we will proceed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**The Galactica, CIC...**_

The CIC was a beehive of activity; they had arrived in their new co-ordinates 5 minutes ago and were monitoring the comm and DRADIS to ensure each member of the refugee fleet had made it through.

Now all they had to do was wait for the Xavier.

Speculations had spread like wild-fire when the Thirteenth Tribe's ship was first seen.

The marines who had escorted the two human males from the shuttle had not said anything. But it did not stop anyone from guessing.

The Thirteenth Tribe had a fleet of powerful ships.

The Thirteenth Tribe also had cylons who were loyal to them.

The Thirteenth Tribe was going to take them to Kobol.

The Thirteenth Tribe was going to fight the cylons and claim back the 12 Colonies.

On and on the stories spread in such a short time with each story becoming more outrageous than the last one.

For a good number of the civilian ships had seen the Xavier take on 2 basestars and single-handedly destroy one of those dreaded cylon ships thus adding fuel to the imagination of those who had seen the brief battle.

As Gaeta entered the CIC; he noticed a lot of officers looked at him expectantly.

He found that ironic; for less than a week ago; most of them had ignored or shunned him because they were still convinced that he had been a cylon collaborator on New Caprica.

However; with the arrival of the Thirteenth Tribe; memories of the past had been buried.

But for how long ?

Gaeta greeted those nearest to him and also acknowledged their greetings before he reached the Admiral's ready room.

Already present were the Admiral; the XO Saul Tigh; Tory Foster and Dr Cottle.

The president and the vice-president had left for Colonial One ; after calling for a meeting with the Quorum.

A contact such as this demanded their attention and contribution.

"Grab a seat Felix," said Admiral Adama as he took a sip of water.

He was holding a copy of the notes Q Junior had left; even Saul Tigh was reading some of them.

Dr Cottle was staring intently at his own and muttering to himself.

"I'm finding this very hard to believe," finally said Cottle out loud.

"Could be an elaborate trick," snorted Saul Tigh.

Gaeta exchanged a look with Tory.

According to the XO; _everyone_ was trying to pull a fast one.

"You saw the videofeed; his forearms were completely exposed. I doubt it's a trick," said the Admiral.

The doctor gave him a sceptical look. "Whatever you say Admiral; but I would rather believe it after I examine him and do a couple of scans."

Adama was already shaking his head before the doctor had finished speaking. "I have a funny feeling that doctors are not on Captain Logan's list of favourite people especially after what was done to him and his daughter."

"What of Dr Grey ? She is a doctor; is she not ?" asked Dr Cottle.

"Possibly; but Lieutenant Thrace thinks they may have a close relationship of some sort," said Adama.

And she's definitely not to be frakked with; thought Saul Tigh as he recalled the floating weapons. He shuddered at the thought that she had been responsible for suspending the weapons in the air.

"So Dr Cottle; is cryosleep possible ?" asked Tory " I thought our colonial scientists were unsuccessful."

He looked at her. " Yes they were but we're talking about the Thirteenth Tribe here."

She frowned. " You really think they are the last tribe?"

Everyone looked at her in surprise; even Saul.

"Ms Foster," started Dr Cottle " I have a dozen marines in the medical bay who sustained injuries which should have put them out of action for the next 5 to 6 weeks but I'm about ready to discharge them because the 'mobile sentient hologram known as Q Junior' healed them with devices that I am not familiar with."

Chief Specialist Tyrol had shown the devices to the doctor with the Admiral's permission.

"Lieutenant Agathon is certain that it's not cylon tech; so what else could it be?"

Tory tried to find an answer but came up with nothing.

"I welcome everyone's opinion; however please remember we're meeting with them in less than 11 hours. We need to prepare un-provocative questions and also determine if we can peacefully obtain the co-ordinates for Earth."

"And if they refuse to give it to us? Remember this is their homeworld ," said Saul cynically.

Adama took a deep breath. " Then we continue via diplomatic means...so far Captain Logan has been honourable and kept his word when he did not have to. His ship came after us when they could have continued on their way...so for now...we have to trust them a little."

He turned back to the oddly shaped papers before him. Each had a glossy feel and was in the shape of a perfect rectangle instead of the octagon-shaped colonial papers.

To his relief he could understand most of what was written; what he was finding hard to believe was the existence of other races.

True to his word; Q Junior had supplied them with pictures of some of the aliens.

The Vulcans; they looked almost human apart from their pointed ears and blank expressions. Apparently they adhered strictly to not showing any emotion. Must be a cultural thing.

The Romulans; identical to the Vulcans but their way of thinking was vastly different from the Vulcans who were distantly related to them. However the thing to note was that they were barely allies and almost enemies.

Until recently the Romulans had less than amicable relations with Earth.

Another interesting fact was that the Vulcans were the closet allies to Earth and also a founding member of the Federation. The Romulans were not members.

The Andorians; they were blue-skinned with antennae and white hair; were also founding members of the Federation and close allies with Earth and also known as warriors.

The Klingons. Adama found himself staring at the fierce countenance of warrior male; especially the ridged forehead. The Klingon empire had been enemies of the Federation until the last 23rd century.

Then there was the Ferengi; the Betazoid and so on and so on.

And he hadn't even started on the list of races who enemies of the Federation.

So many races and 189 planets were members of the Federation with Earth been the headquarters for the organization.

It was way too much for the Colonials to understand; how much more believe.

"These notes about the other races; are too brief," commented Dr Cottle as he waved a copy which had the picture of a Ferengi.

"It says nothing about their biology; their culture and barely touches on their way of governing."

"I don't think Q Junior had enough time to compile the information; maybe with the next meeting 10 hours away he may have more documents," Gaeta paused "maybe we should consider asking for a disc drive or a memory chip of some sort..."

The Admiral shook his head. "Too much of a risk; we'll go with paper documents for now. What I am interested in is what their ship runs on ? I doubt it's going to be Tylium so include that in the questions.

Another is how many crew they've got."

Everyone looked at him.

"I don't think they will be that forthcoming with such sensitive information sir," said Saul respectively "then again from Lieutenant Thrace's report she thought they may be only 4 crew members _including_ the hologram."

"That's impossible," said Tory " surely a ship that size has more than that!"

"Maybe it's that advanced that a crew of four is just what it needs," Gaeta calmly.

"Maybe," grudgingly agreed Saul "but i'll bet a guided tour is out of the question."

And whose fault is that ? Thought Gaeta as he hid his irritated expression as he pretended to read an article about the Cardassians.

"Dr Cottle; I know we had a very brief time in studying Q Junior's equipment but can it be duplicated ?" asked Adama

The doctor snorted. "When pigs will fly; we didn't even have enough time to study the outside. The Chief was been so cautious that he had the equipment scanned several times before he even let me touch it!"

So I guess that's a no then; thought Gaeta.

"What about the weapon?" asked Saul " any luck there ?"

Adama shook his head. He had already asked the Chief.

"In summary; we know nothing about this people apart from what we have in-front of us," said the XO as he pointed at his copy of notes.

"We know they have an AI," said Tory nervously "and that Q Junior is not human. I'm not too sure about the other three been human either."

Everyone looked anxiously at each other; apart from Adama who was staring at a picture of a Federation human. A native of Earth.

This one was wearing a similar Starfleet uniform as Q Junior had worn; but it was blue and black. The human was a slim young female with dark brown skin and short curly black hair.

If he ignored the uniform; she looked like any other colonial.

"We won't know anything until we get to Earth," he said in a calm voice. He looked up to see them staring at him. He passed the picture to Saul who stared at it for several moments.

"Until then; we have to be very cautious and take every bit of information seriously," he paused " I cannot stress enough that we must do _nothing_ to provoke the crew of the Xavier. Am I clear ?" He looked at each of the people before him; even his best friend Saul Tigh who looked very uncomfortable.

There was a murmur of 'yes sir' and 'yes admiral'.

Before Adama could say another word there was a knock on the door.

A polite interruption at this time could only mean one thing.

"Come in."

Commander Lee Adama entered. "The Xavier is here."

The Admiral hid the relief he felt as he felt the tension in air increase.

"I...I actually didn't think they would come after us," everyone looked at Tory as she said what they were all thinking.

The CAG took a seat beside her. "Well I guess this shows they want to help us...or keep an eye on us."

Saul looked at him. "What do you mean by that ?"

Lee took his time answering. "One of the several questions I would like answered is what were they doing that planet in the first place ?"

Gaeta froze as a thought came to him.

"Maybe they were just passing through,"said Saul drily.

Lee opened his mouth to talk but someone else interrupted him.

"What...what if...Hera's planet was where Q Junior retrieved them from ?"

They all stared at him with blank faces.

"The scripture of Kobol stated that..._one who knows of a path to the home of the Thirteenth will be in the temple of Hera..._this could mean..._"_

"You're saying they were in cryosleep within that temple ?" cut inDr Cottle.

"But I thought the temple was over 2000 or 3000 years old ?" interrupted Saul Tigh.

"People; let Lieutenant Gaeta finish," said Adama in a firm voice.

Gaeta nodded gratefully to his commanding officer; then tried to compose himself as he began to explain.

"Sir; we don't know how old the temple was; Starbuck was unable to ascertain its age.

For some unknown reason Captain Logan; his daughter and Dr Grey were placed in cryo-sleep for the past 372 years...one working theory is that the three of them could have been part of some top secret Earth military initiative.

What if the Thirteenth Tribe had a long standing military facility on Hera's planet and that was where they were kept?

Q Junior goes to revive them then we and the cylons find them at the same time."

There was silence for several moments.

"Why would Earth hide them on that planet ?" asked Tory.

Gaeta shrugged. "Only Q Junior would know the answer."

Everyone knew that Hades would probably freeze over before the hologram released such classified information to the colonials.

"It does sound rather far-fetched," muttered Dr Cottle.

"But not impossible," added Saul Tigh with a tight expression on his face. Admiral Adama knew that look.

Both of them had been on one too many black op-missions that had been done on distal moons and desolate planets that the general populace of the 12 colonies had no idea existed.

"Lieutenant Gaeta may have a point," said the CAG "Lieutenant Thrace's team _did _find the Xavier in orbit when they got there."

"Then the cylons showed up," added his father "which may explain why the temple was destroyed if they did not want the underground base falling into enemy hands."

He looked up to see the others nodding in agreement.

"But without confirmation; this is all just speculation; maybe as Saul said they were just passing through.

Let's get to the information we can work with. We have less than 10 hours."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**Colonial One...**_

Once President Laura Roslin sat down; the Quorum attacked.

Verbally ; of cause.

After-all she had just given them a summary of what had recently taken place and as usual she was to blame for all the mistakes.

Vice President Zarek just sat back quietly and watched her take the heat.

John Cantrell of Sagittarion was the first to fire off a question.

"President Roslin; how did you let it get out of hand ? How sure are you that the Xavier will not attack the fleet ?"

These questions caused a lot of anxious muttering from delegates present.

"If that had been their attention; we would not be having this conversation," countered Roslin.

"So you trust them? " asked Dahlia of Tauron " how can you? One of them is a cylon !"

"Not a cylon; but a...sentient hologram," said Roslin hastily as the muttering gained volume.

"Which could be another name for a cylon," said Reza Chronides angrily "the question is what if it decides to side with the cylons and turns on us. The Xavier could be used against the entire fleet!"

Roslin could feel herself losing control of the meeting; she could not blame them. They were afraid.

"But they have the co-ordinates for Earth."

Everyone looked at Vice President Zarek in surprise.

"You believe them ?" asked Cantrell.

"I don't think they are cylons; if they were..." his voice trailed off.

He didn't have to say what was on everyone's mind.

"Anyway; we need to treat them with extreme caution."

"How?" asked one of the delegates anxiously. Roslin looked at the Quorum; they seemed to look towards Zarek as a beacon of hope while they treated her as if she was the cause of all their problems.

The vice president steepled his hands together as he considered the question.

"We need to keep an eye on them."

"Then assign a squad of marines onto the Xavier," said Lance Malfroy of Aerilon.

Roslin resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the man's stupidity; meanwhile Zarek glared at the delegate.

Apparently the moron had not heard of what happened on the flight deck.

"I doubt that will be possible; consider if our roles were reversed if we would tolerate such an invasion of our territory."

Lance seemed to shrink from the Vice-president's anger.

"But surely they would recognise the authority of the President and Vice President of the 12 Colonies and follow your orders ?" Teresa Andley of Picon.

This time Zarek rubbed his forehead in frustration and looked at Roslin.

"Do you want to tell them or should I ?"

"Tell us what?" asked John Cantrell suspiciously.

What Roslin had left out from the summary was that the Thirteenth Tribe seemed to know nothing about Kobol and the Great Exodus.

Considering Zarek's knack for causing panic; it was best coming from her; the President.

Roslin took a deep breath. "There is no easy way to say this...but Captain Logan stated that his people have no knowledge about Kobol or the 12 Colonies."

There was dead silence for several seconds before the room erupted in questions.

"How is that possible ?"

"Who do they worship ? Have they truly lost their way ? Are they monotheists?"

"This is sacrilege! We must never associate with them!"

It got to a point when she could bear it no longer; she stood up and shouted.

"Enough!"

They all fell silent at the vehemence in her voice; even Zarek raised an eyebrow.

"My fellow delegates," she stated in a steely point " this fleet is at the breaking point! We have hardly any food; barely any ammunition or fuel and our ships are falling apart as we speak!

Have I even mentioned the cylons who are on our tails and are just as keen to discover Earth so as to destroy it as well!"

No one dared speak.

"Even Captain Logan and his crew though they have misgivings about us; are ready to work with us and have offered to help.

People; we have no choice but to accept."

The delegates looked at each other; clearly distressed but all seemed to see reason.

Roslin was not done. "I understand your hesitance in trusting them which is why we will get a colonial officer to be assigned to the Xavier to act as a liaison."

Zarek could not hide the surprise on his face.

The President watched the rest of the Quorum relax; reassured by her words.

Inwardly Roslin smiled to herself; she just knew who would be the perfect person for the job.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Galactica; Officers quarters...**_

Ensign Billy 'Buck' Rogers bit back a grimace as the pain in his left forearm increased. He tried to shift it to get some relief but that was no help.

He sat up and stared at his chronometer; 8 more hours until the next meeting.

His roommates were on duty but due to his injury he had amended duties; such as trying to calm down a roomful of scared heavily armed marines.

That was an exhausting job.

When he came in earlier to rest; he had been pain free.

Must have been the adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

Gods; he wished he the medics still had morpha; he could kill for some now. He sat up wearily and leaned against the back of the bed. The fingers of his left hand were swollen; he could still move them but it hurt so much.

Serves him right for not elevating the broken forearm as Doctor Cottle advised him to.

Another bout of pain had him wincing; he tried to take his mind off the discomfort by thinking of something else.

Before he knew it; his mind drifted to the past; a week before the Holocaust.

He had been a cadet; training at the Academy on Caprica when he got the message that his maternal grandmother was dying and had asked for him specifically.

She had been a priestess in the temple of Ares on Tauron but had not been very close to the family; apart from Billy.

His mum had said since he was born she had been specifically interested in him; she had even known the exact day and time of his birth.

Which was uncanny because he had been born 3 weeks earlier than his expected date.

Billy had been the last child of 5 siblings; the only one to get into the Caprica Colonial Fleet Academy. Everyone had been so proud; including his grandmother who had regularly corresponded with him.

He had always known when to expect a message even before he checked his emails; and had even known when she was ill before she told him.

The request for him to come back to Tauron to see her had been difficult to arrange but he had managed.

It had been heart rending seeing her lying so frail; wasted due to the effects of wide spread cancer.

But what had scared him the most was when she grabbed his right hand.

"Billy Rogers; we share more than blood and flesh...we share an ability...but you have not yet opened your eyes."

Rogers had patted her hand; he had been sure that she was delusional due to the effects of the cancer and chemotherapy.

She had laughed. "My dear child; you think I am mad. Oh my boy; my mind is as clear as before I was struck down with this malady.

Honour one more request of mine; please stay until my body is ashes and you must disperse them at the Hikal River," she had paused "but please forgive me that I cannot save the rest of your family. I can only save you," then she had broke down crying.

Billy had held his grandmother uncertain of what to do and clearly confused by her words.

4 days later she died; 2 days after that she was cremated with only him present as the rest of the family had been unable to attend for various reasons.

The seventh day he dispersed her ashes in the Hikal River which happened to be next to the Tauron City spaceports; only to lift off as his home-world was been destroyed.

Billy had watched in total disbelief as he watched the nukes fall.

Somehow his grandmother had known and she had saved only him.

He had grieved for them; he had not even felt anger towards her but he was afraid that he was gradually becoming what his grandmother had been.

Someone who could see the future or someone who was most likely going mad.

Billy felt a wave of anxiety as his heart rate picked up. He needed to think of something else before he had a nervous breakdown.

Like why would the President of the 12 Colonies want to speak to him?

He spent several minutes wondering why that random thought entered his mind; only to be interrupted by his communicator going off.

"Ensign Rogers here," he said in as calm a voice as possible.

"_Ensign; its President Roslin...is this a good time to talk?"_

Bill stared at the communicator like it was a rampaging centurion.

"_Ensign are you there?"_

He swallowed nervously. "Yes Mrs President...how may I help you today?"

"_Will you present at the next meeting with Captain Logan and Q Junior?"_

"Yes ma'am."

"_Good...I will need you for a special assignment; but first I need to clear it with Admiral Adama. Please keep this between us until otherwise. Is that understood ?"_

"Y...yes ma'am," said Billy hesitantly.

Then the communicator disconnected. He stared at it for several moments.

"Dear Lords of Kobol; what the frak is happening to me?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**The Xavier; the Engine room...**_

Q Junior looked at the clock.

Seven hours to go. He looked at the mountain of paperwork he had already generated. There was no way he was taking all of that to the next meeting.

He had to think of something; he sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

If he was human; he would be having the mother of all migraines.

Right now he just felt a bit frustrated. How was he going to summarise 150,000 years of history into a few sheets of paper ?

A sliding sound behind him made him turn to see Dr Grey walk into the room.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Dr Grey; shouldn't you be asleep?"

She looked around the room as if searching for something then settled on him.

"Eh...yeah you're right; I just couldn't sleep."

Q Junior gave her an odd look; then also gave the room a 360 degree survey.

"Doc; what are you looking for?"

"Here is so cold and empty...that is apart from the warp core and all these consoles; but shouldn't you have your own personal quarters ?" asked Jean in a serious tone.

Q Junior stared at her. "Well; I'm not really human so don't really need a ..."

"You need a normal room Q," she walked towards one of the consoles "anyway; I've got a question for you."

Why am I not surprised ? Thought Q Junior wryly.

"How do you feel about been a hologram ? Please be level with me."

The boy said nothing for a while; then he sighed. "It sucks; right now I feel so limited...it's hard to explain."

"You miss the power?" it was not a question.

He laughed a little. "Yeah I do miss it; but...I just have to work with what I have and maybe things will get better.

One can only hope, Dr Grey."

He watched the doctor nod; then she looked at a far right corner of the room for a few moments. He looked there as well and saw nothing.

In that brief moment when he was not watching her; her eyes flashed black for a split second.

"Q Junior; get some sleep or some rest."

"I can't; I have so much work to..."

"You're no good to yourself if you begin to make mistakes. We have all been going on far longer than we should. Get. Some. Rest. Now."

Q Junior opened his mouth to argue ; then stopped at the set look on the doctor's face. "Fine; I will..."

"And assign yourself some quarters; you deserve it kiddo. You built the ship," said Jean gently.

Q Junior found himself reddening. "Thanks Dr Grey," he looked at the ceiling.

"Xavier; please alert me in 2hours."

"_Yes Q Junior."_

"Get some rest too Dr Grey," advised Q Junior.

She smiled at him. "Sure thing Engineer," she left but cast a quick glance around the room before leaving.

Q Junior frowned a bit. "Xavier; please identify the number of life-signs on board."

"_4 humans beside yourself Q Junior."_

The Q grinned. "Thanks; Xavier; see ya around later."

He left the engine room.

For several minutes the room was empty; then two figures appeared in a flash of light.

Lady Q and her husband.

"Dear; we should not be here," said Q immediately.

Lady Q ignored him as she stared after the door her son had just left through.

"She knew I was here; but she said nothing."

Q shrugged. "Well it is a bit strange that one of the humans can sense us," his face assumed a very worried expression.

"We really need to be going dear."

Lady Q still stood in the same place; in her mind she could see Jean Grey looking straight at her before her eyes flashed black for a brief moment to send a message.

_**We will protect him; this we promise.**_

Q was worried; his wife had been hell-bent on coming here and helping their son regain his Q powers; but this was the sort of thing the General was waiting for.

If they stepped out of line; their son's work was to be stopped and completely reversed. Q Junior was completely unaware of this.

Q Junior would never forgive them if it came to that.

"Dear; I know you're worried but we..."

"He's going to be alright," interrupted Lady Q.

Q stared at her in shock. "What?"

" The Phoenix and Jean will watch over him."

Q's jaw dropped. "Now y...you trust her?!"

His wife gave him a scathing look. "Of cause; haven't I said all along that she's just like me ? Now come along dear; you should not have brought us here.

We really must go if we don't want General Q to get upset."

"But this was your idea..." Q was still protesting loudly as his wife grabbed his right hand and snapped her fingers.

The two disappeared in a flash of light.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

**Kris= thanks for the review**

**Thunder18= so glad you enjoying the story**

**Witch20=glad for your review and support**

**Atsik101= just wait for it and you will get some demonstration of powers soon!**

**CyberAngelOne=thanks for your review and encouragement**

**Thanatoss=I'll be in more of the Federation hx with the following chapters; so glad you like the story**

**Duri'd the Druid= glad you like how it's going**

**Nedy Rahn=glad you like Logan's approach!**

**Cjcold2=great idea about the star charts; I will aim to include it for the following chapters! And so many thanks about the vitamin supplements!**

**For everyone else; thanks for reviews and support; please keep reading and enjoy !**


	18. Chapter 18

Chaptet 18 of the Phoenix and The Wolverine

_**The Void; somewhere in Q-space...**_

The General stroked his chin thoughtfully as he watched the parents of Q Junior leave the Xavier.

He had been a millisecond away from reversing all that the young Q had accomplished.

Until the Phoenix walked in and looked at the parents directly.

The fact that she was that aware of them when even their offspring could not detect them was...very interesting.

General Q stood in the same place for several moments as he watched the Colonials; the crew of the Xavier and Q Junior's parents.

This whole mess was the fault of the boy's parents; right from day one they should have trained their child properly.

But instead they let him run amok.

The General was sure the boy would fail. Part of him wanted that to happen so that the child would learn from his mistakes and thus approach 'intervention' with extreme caution when he was _much _older.

However; a part of him wanted him to succeed because he knew firsthand what failure could do to the psyche of a Q.

It could lead to widespread disaster.

The General's trail of thoughts were cut short when his senses picked up something that was...wrong.

With a wave of his hand; he removed the scenes showing the colonial fleet; the Xavier crew and Q Junior's parents.

The wrongness intensified as he searched for the source; in time and space.

Ah. There it is.

It was a single small temporal disturbance in space.

It did not take long for the Q to find it's location; as for the cause; he already knew _who _was at fault.

With his lips set in a firm hard line he lifted his right hand to repair it...then he paused.

This was exactly what he had been afraid of; but if he repaired it without showing it to the party that caused it...the lesson would not be learnt.

The General stared at the defect. It was small but given a lot of time could develop into something disastrous.

But someone had to bear witness; someone had to learn from this mishap that could have been prevented.

And he knew who had to _see_ it before it was repaired.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**The Xavier; Crew quarters...**_

An alarm electronic clock went off; it bleeped for several seconds before a hand touched the sensitive screen thus silencing it.

Jean woke up gradually and for several moments she wondered where she was.

Then it all came to her in a rush.

Seven hours ago Logan and Q Junior had returned from the Galactica; before the Xavier jumped to the new co-ordinates to rejoin the Colonial Fleet.

She and Laura had retired to their respective quarters for much needed rest but Jean had only been asleep for a few hours and had woken up when the Phoenix warned her that they had uninvited guests in engineering.

Q Junior was in there working.

Jean had scrambled for the door without wasting any more time. Asking Xavier to scan the ship would have been pointless because she _knew_ the ship would not detect the two powerful new minds now on board the vessel.

On getting nearer to the engine room she and the Phoenix had reached out to the 'intruders'; what she sensed almost made her stumble.

Q's parents were the intruders; the father was worried while the mother was very angry.

Meanwhile Q Junior was unaware his parents were in the same room as him.

_We would not want to be on his mum's bad side._

Jean nodded as she listened to the Phoenix's advice; for _her_ to be worried was not to be taken lightly.

The telepath had gathered up her courage and entered the engine room.

What followed next was her ordering Q Junior to get some sleep while she passed on a telepathic message to the 'parents'.

The look of surprise on their faces had been priceless; they had no idea she could sense them.

_Well; they do now_ said the Phoenix drily.

Jean sat up and 'spread' her senses; after a few minutes she was sure there were only 3 other minds on board.

Logan; Laura and Q Junior.

It was only after she realized he was not a hologram that she had tried harder and was with the Phoenix's help able to go beyond the _psychic barrier_ that surrounded Q Junior.

She couldn't read his mind completely but she could tell when he was truthful. So far he had not lied to them and she didn't think he would do so out of spite or with intention to harm them.

Anyway; she had decided not to tell Logan about the parents' visit; he was already highly strung; no need to add to the tension.

Jean stood up and stretched; 4 more hours until the next meeting with the Colonials. She had to get ready; there was a lot to talk about.

As she passed her personal data padd; the screen lit up and was flashing a yellow light. She picked up the device with a frown then it changed to one of recognition when she realized what it was.

The download from her tricorder; which had contained the holographic message from the ruins.

It was no surprise that she had forgotten about it; the last few hours had been hectic.

"Do I really need to read or watch this now?" she said out loud.

She looked at the flashing yellow icon; Xavier had fully translated the message and it was waiting to be read.

The Colonials and Cylons were at war; both of the factions had been after whatever was hidden in that temple. What if it was what she held in her hand?

"I need some coffee first," said Jean as she made her decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Laura walked briskly down the corridor which led to Engineering.

According to Xavier; Q Junior was in there. She wondered how much paper work he had generated and if he had got any rest.

She was still upset with him and Logan for not allowing her to come along; but she understood the reason for their caution.

However the next outing they had; she was definitely going to be part of the away team.

The door slid open when she got to engineering; walking further into the chamber she saw him bent over a metal table which had paper on it.

Right next to him was a trio of 4 foot-high pile of bound folders which were resting on 3 mobile-grav platforms.

"Hi Laura, " said Q Junior as he turned round briefly to greet her before going back to his work.

"Hi ya," she walked over to the neatly arranged piles "I'm impressed; you got all this ready in such a short time. Did you even take a break?"

Q Junior grinned as he completed one more folder.

"I couldn't have done it without Xavier," he looked up at the ceiling "thanks bud."

"_You're welcome Q."_

"Way to go X," said Laura approvingly.

"_Thanks for the compliment Laura," _replied the computer.

Q Junior continued speaking as he kept working. "By the by; Dr Grey ordered me to rest as well. I got up an hour ago."

"Oh," said Laura guiltily; she had not realized he had needed someone to advise him to rest.

She quickly picked up one of folders and flipped through the glossy pictures which showed parts of Earth's history. She closed it and looked at the writing on the binding.

'This folder only contains what happened from the year 2360 to 2370 AD."

"Uh huh; and this one I have just completed is from 2370 to 2382.

Captain Logan ordered me to give them all of 'Earth's history'; that means everything of each _country_ and_ region_ of Earth.

Earth has seven continents and _hundreds _of countries; thousands of cultures and just as many religions. As you already know each of those countries had their own individual governments before the Earth Central Government was created a few centuries ago."

"Shit," said Laura as she realized the scope of the work.

"Not the exact word I would have chosen to describe the enormity of this assignment; but you get the idea."

"And this is all of it?" asked Laura in surprise as she pointed at the piles of folders.

"Not really; this is 'barely' a summary of the history of Earth with a brief mention of the members of the Federation. If I tried to compile the history of all the members of the Federation and its enemies; this room would not be big enough" he pulled out a data padd "however this will contain the entire history of Earth _and _the Federation. I'll take this with me and simply ask if they want it as well."

Laura smiled dryly. "Good luck with that; but the Colonial President also wanted to know specifically how Earth is _currently _been governed."

Q nodded. "True; but; before she can understand that; she needs to _know_ your history."

"That kinda makes sense," Laura looked at the chronometer on her wrist " we better get down to the bridge. It's almost time."

"Sure," said Q as he put the last folder on the nearest pile before attaching a trans-locater on each mobile grav-platform.

"Xavier; please transport the folders to the shuttle bay."

"_Yes Q Junior."_

The files and platforms disappeared in a myriad of colours as the transporters de-materialized the objects.

"Shall we?" said Q Junior with a smile as he indicated for Laura to go before him.

She snorted and passed him but could not hide the smile his simple action caused. Q Junior found himself following her with a bounce in his steps.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**Deck One; the Bridge...**_

Logan took a sip of his extra strong coffee; he closed his eyes briefly to savour the simple bitterness of the beverage. Earlier on he had smoked his first cigar in 4 days. Usually he tried to smoke in the holosuites especially when he saw Jean giving him disapproving looks and also when Laura had seemed to eye his cigars as if she wanted to try it.

So once everyone had left the bridge; he had his cigar while he kept his eye on the colonials.

He bloody well deserved a smoke.

Logan hadn't slept. Someone had to be awake and on watch especially with the Colonials so close to the ship. He had seen the way the marines had eyed the shuttle.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that they would love to take the advanced ship apart and learn how it worked.

How much more the Xavier ?

He looked at the sensor logs. The colonials had kept their distance; however the number of 'raptors' patrolling the immediate vicinity of the Galactica had doubled.

His train of thoughts were interrupted when the side doors slid open to reveal Dr Grey. She had a data padd in her right hand and a thoughtful frown on her face.

"Good morning." According to the chronometer it was 0421hrs.

She opened her mouth to speak; then paused and sniffed the air.

"Logan," she started with a growl.

"I...," he took one look at her face then turned to the ceiling " Xavier; please ventilate the area."

"_Yes Captain."_

Logan could have sworn the computer sounded amused.

"Happy now ?"

"Definitely," said Jean through gritted teeth "anyway; where are the others ?"

"Must be on their way," said Logan as he put down his coffee "why; is something wrong ?"

Before Jean could reply the doors to the bridge slid as Laura and Q Junior walked in.

"Good; you're here," said Jean before the teens greeted her.

Laura picked up on the tension in her voice. "Is there a problem ?"

"No...well I sure hope not. I need to discuss with you and Q Junior about what Logan and I found in the ruins on that planet."

"Yeah; I forgot all about the message we found," said the Captain.

Q Junior's face went still. "What message ?"

Jean looked at him. " You know nothing of this ?"

He shook his head.

"For a Q who can move through time and space; your knowledge is sorely lacking," said Logan.

The boy glared at him. "And I'm sure you recall sir that I no longer have those abilities.

Before if I needed to know something I went and _browsed_ through that period but even then; due to how the Colonials disregarded the Q's warnings; my contact with them was supervised and limited."

"Yet; you still want to help them," said Logan dryly.

Q sighed. "Yeah; you may not believe me but...I still do."

"Alright boys; let's focus on other things," said Jean before Logan said something that would make her kick him.

"Q; I have a few questions," Jean looked at Q Junior.

The boy gave her a wary look.

"Relax; I know you have not had time to fully update us on what you know about the colonials; but I want to know what happened on Kobol; why did the Tribes leave ?"

Q Junior stared at her for a while before he replied.

" A very long time ago...we are talking more than 20 millennia ago there was a planet called Kobol. It had 12 humanoid tribes which were ruled by 'the Lords of Kobol'.

They worshiped these 'Lords' and for a time everyone seemed content.

To a casual observer; they seemed to exist in perfect harmony with their 'Gods'.

Then the humans became quite advanced; learnt about space travel and were also able to create artificial life-forms...who later evolved to look almost human...like the current cylons."

Logan raised an eyebrow but wisely kept silent.

Q Junior sighed. "The usual occurred; the 12 tribes abused their creation and a war started...the Lords of Kobol told each of the tribes and the cylons to leave when they got tired of watching them kill each other.

As for the Lords...no one knows what happened to them after the expulsion; but I think they are around...somewhere.

The expulsion from Kobol effectively ended the war ; there was a Truce but the Lords refused to change their minds.

So the 12 human tribes settled near Kobol while the race of sentient machines or 'cylons' took a different path.

As history became distorted through time the cylons were given the name ' The Thirteenth Tribe' and because of the war they had with their...creators they decided to settle very, very far from them."

Laura whistled. "So the colonials don't realize the Thirteenth Tribe are robots?" Q Junior nodded

"Oh this is priceless!"

"What happened next ?" Logan.

"Better yet; let me show you it will explain why there are two Earths."

Jean tilted her head. "That was to be my second question."

"I know," said Q Junior with a small smile as he touched the screen on the data padd he was carrying then placed it in a viewing slot on one of the consoles.

"Xavier translated the message from Ancient Latin to Federation Standard," announced Jean as she watched for Q's reaction.

Laura and Logan stared at her in surprise; Q Junior just nodded.

"That doesn't surprise you" continued Jean to the hologram. It was not a question.

Laura folded her arms. "Hold up...The Thirteenth Tribe spoke ancient Latin? How is that possible?"

The three of them looked at Q Junior.

"The Lords of Kobol visited your planet many millennia ago for a brief period before returning to their region of space ...and also...some members of the Thirteenth Tribe landed on your Earth in the past 3.5 millennia and settled there permanently."

Logan stared at him. "Run that by me again."

"Your history which dates back more than 5 millennia has tales or legends of powerful beings descending to earth in their balls of light." Q Junior pressed a few symbols on his data padd.

A holographic projection showed the ancient pyramids of Egypt and of the Mayan civilization.

"Some of those beings or aliens may have been worshipped as Gods or created their own civilizations."

Next was projected the ruins of Ancient Rome and Greece.

"Ancient Latin was the main language of the Romans who were also known as the Road builders and in their region of the world they were the most technological advanced which contributed a lot to expanding their empire."

"Outstanding," said Logan dryly "so the Romans were descendents of the Thirteenth Tribe _and _the Lords of Kobol. You got any proof kid ?"

Q Junior looked at the holograms for a while before turning to the small audience. "When I could still time travel; my dad showed me 13 tribes leaving Kobol; this happened approximately 4000 years ago.

Then roughly a few centuries later; a large number of ships entered this region of space; hence the ruins on the planet you found.

They stayed there for a while; repairing and restoring their aged ships; built the Temple; then they left again and after a long journey...the fleet reached your solar system.

A small group of ships left them and landed on your world 3.5 millennia ago. The odd thing is that they destroyed their vessels and technology and intermarried with the local human population."

Silence greeted his words; he continued.

"The larger group travelled much further before settling on a planet they also called Earth. This is roughly 3 millennia ago...give or take a few centuries.

I'm afraid that's the only proof I have."

Logan's gaze was very suspicious; he opened his mouth to speak.

"And that will do Q. I believe you," said Jean firmly. The captain turned to find her glaring at him.

"It kinda makes a lot of sense but what does this info have to do with what you found in the ruins ?" asked Laura as she indicated the padd in Jean's hands.

The doctor stared at it for several seconds; what Q Junior had just told her was beginning to make a lot of sense but there were so many questions she had to think through.

"I think...it's time we watched the message." She gave the padd to Q Junior.

He deactivated his own padd and attached hers to the viewing slot.

Within a few moments the message began to play.

_The five robed and hooded figures walked into the podium. The last two were arguing bitterly._

"_Some pilot you are ! You almost killed us with that last landing!"_

"_Well; we survived it didn't we? However it would have been a lot smoother if you hadn't frakked up the calculations in the first place."_

_The 4__th__ person turned to confront the last person. "Oh so now it's my fault?! Unbelievable; you are the most stupid person I have ever..."_

"_Antorria and Sauren this is not the time," roared a familiar voice._

_The two stopped speaking at once._

"_We have much more important things to worry about...besides any landing you can walk away from is a pretty good one," continued the rough voice in a calmer tone._

_One of the robed hooded figures sighed._

"_Then why are we here ? I thought the plan was to get to the Colonies the quickest way possible."_

_The first person raised his hand in a placating gesture. "In due time but we need to leave a message in-case any survivors follows us from Earth."_

"_I sincerely doubt anyone else is left Paul," said one of the four in an anxious voice._

_He ignored the comment and the worried looks the remaining four people gave him as he moved to the single podium in the big room. He laid his right hand in the palm-print and there was a slight ringing noise for a few seconds._

"_That's odd...it was already recording."_

_The second hooded figure nodded his head earnestly. " Must have been set off when we walked into the chamber...it's a wonder it's still working after a thousand years," the figure lifted his head to look around the chamber._

"_Our ancestors built things to last," said the second hooded figure ; the voice sounded feminine._

"_Well...we might as well get started," said the leader " who wants to go first ?"_

_The others looked at each other; then the 4__th__ person sighed and stepped up closer to the podium; she removed her hood revealing a pretty woman with raven curly shoulder length locks and light brown skin._

"_My name is Antorria Foster; I'm a scientist and we...,"her voice almost broke "we may be the last of our people; the Thirteenth Tribe._

_A war started when our centurions challenged our authority and asked that we regard and treat them as equals._

_We responded by restricting their autonomy and self awareness...in fact reducing their intelligence with forceful reprogramming. _

_It didn't work and in one single day they turned our own orbital planetary defense against us," She shook her head and laughed bitterly "we should never have had nukes put in space in the first place!"_

_She covered her face as tears began to fall. One of the tall figures stepped forward and out a comforting arm around her shoulder. _

_The figure looked up and pulled back his hood to reveal Caucasian features._

"_I'm Dr Tyre Galenius; engineer and scientist...most of our people settled on Earth more than a millennia ago. They and the other 12 Tribes had left Kobol in order to better the lives of the people," he paused looking very uncomfortable "or so the scriptures tell us...but what we're left with is the awful truth that if one does not learn from history...it's bound to happen time after time._

_Some legends states that Kobol was where we lived with our Gods who had created us...but in time there was distrust which led to war among the children of the Gods...thus the Thirteenth Tribe left... leaving our angry siblings behind," he sighed " you won't find that in the Books of Kobol for that is heresy._

_I don't know what happened on Kobol...I don't think any one will ever find out but we need to get to the 12 Colonies and warn them of what happened here...it's the least we can do to prevent a repeat of such genocide."_

_Tyre turned and nodded for the next person to speak._

_The figure drew his hood back to reveal a man with dark brown curly hair and brown eyes; he looked tired._

"_I'm Dr Sauren.T. Anderson, fellow researcher and scientist...I agree with what Antorria and Tyre just said...nukes in space was stupid and history repeats itself if one is not careful._

_There were so many warning signs which many of us did not take seriously," he turned to look at Antorria._

"_If not for Antorria's warning from a ...mysterious person I don't think any of us would have made it out," he paused " I think we're the last of our people...I hope not but no one else listened to us when we tried to speak to the ones in charge. _

_Right now I'm envying the 'Naturalists' who left the fleet thousands of years ago before our ancestors landed on Earth...they probably had the right idea when they decided to 'leave' all their tech in the past._

_I guess we will never know, " he was quiet for a while "right now I am the last of my family; I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that my race has been made extinct by the very things we created to serve us; the centurions."_

_His fists tightened with anger; then he forced himself to relax. "I've got nothing else to say," he said in a subdued tone._

_He walked back to stand with Antorria and Tyre who patted him reassuringly on the shoulder._

_The person beside Paul walked forward and removed the hood a slim woman with short blonde hair; weary lines were etched around her eyes._

"_I'm Dr Hellena Tighris; my husband and I," she looked at Paul " and the others had been researching on how our ancestors survived the long journey through space before settling on Earth._

_They used the Resurrection Technology to survive the Great Crossing...then they settled on Earth; began to reproduce naturally and the knowledge was lost._

_This research started out as a notable historical attempt to recreate what our ancestors had done on Kobol and on those ships...little did we know that it would save us five._

_I too believe that we are the last survivors," she looked her husband with a compassionate look " no matter how much Paul wants to believe otherwise. However we have a duty to perform...we have to warn our brothers and sisters of the 12 Tribes...they have the same knowledge we left with...the knowledge passed on to us by the Lords of Kobol._

_Any creation needs to be treated with respect...especially AIs; for they emulate their creators and thus the potential for greatness or profound destruction is high._

_We are living proof of what can go wrong." She paused for several moments; it was clear she was also trying to control her emotions. "I have nothing else to say."_

_He husband nodded ; pulled down his hood and kissed her on the forehead; then turned to face the podium_

"_I'm Professor Paul Tighris, historian and researcher...the others are right...we're probably the last of our people...so why am I recording this?_

_Maybe...maybe it's to leave a legacy and a warning...treat those around you with respect be they cylon or centurion or human. It goes a long way believe me," he paused and seemed to look around the chamber._

"_This temple to Hera was built by our ancestors; the Thirteenth Tribe; it was also known as the 'Temple of Hope.' _

_Maybe it is fitting that we leave this message here...for hope and faith is all we have left._

_It was here that our ancestors prayed until they received guidance as to where to settle finally...it was also to serve as a resting place in case any of the 12 wished to join us._

_Apparently; none of them were interested...thank the Gods for that...maybe we can still save them._

_We will resume our journey to the 12 Colonies shortly and hopefully...we will complete and succeed in our mission."_

"_So say we all," added Hellena softly._

_Paul continued " until then...I say goodbye to you."_

The holographic recording ended.

There was silence for several moments.

"That was interesting," started Logan "come to think of it one of them looks like..." his voice trailed off when he saw the expressions on Laura and Q Junior's faces. They were still staring at where the projections had been.

"I think we just saw Saul Tigh," said Laura in a very odd voice.

"And Tory Foster and Samuel Anders!" added Q Junior.

Logan and Jean shared a worried look.

"What's wrong ?" asked Jean in as calm as a voice as she could manage.

Laura turned to her. "Exactly _how _old is that recording?"

"2000 years old..."

"And the ruins ?" interrupted Laura

"About 3500 years; why do you ask ?" asked a puzzled Jean.

Instead of answering Laura turned a steely look in Q Junior's direction.

The poor boy raised his hands up. "I know nothing of this; you have got to believe me...it can't be them!"

Laura's expression did not yield "Are you sure ?"

"Will someone please explain what's going on?" demanded Logan in a growl.

Laura turned to the captain. "Antorria Foster is the exact copy of a current Tory Foster; the president's XO; their names are even seem similar!

And Paul Tighris is the exact copy of XO Saul Tigh...the _bastard_ who tried to space us."

"Sauren Anderson looks exactly like Samuel Anders," said Q Junior faintly; he had a thoughtful frown on his face.

Logan could not help but share a worried look Jean.

"I noticed the resemblance between Antorria and Tory...but are you sure about the others ?"

The two teens nodded.

"So what does this mean ?" asked Jean; she looked at Q Junior. The boy was still staring into the distance where the projection had been.

She reached out and sensed the confusion and anxiety; something was not right. She walked up to him.

"Q Junior, what is it?" He looked at her with solemn eyes.

"I know how they survived the journey."

Jean raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me."

He sighed and continued.

"Note; the Exodus from Kobol was 4 millennia ago; the 12 colonies settled relatively close to Kobol in comparism but the 13th Tribe travelled _a lot further."_

"I asked my dad a question... since their ships were so primitive how will they get there without dying ?"

_**I'm dying to know the answer; said the Phoenix sarcastically.**_

"Go on," encouraged Jean as she ignored the Phoenix and tried to project a calm feeling towards the anxious teen.

Q Junior bit his lower lip; what he was about to say was making him uncomfortable.

"They had a very primitive FTL system...and the cylons shared one characteristic with their creators. They aged and died...so they had cloning labs on board those ships. As each crew member grew old and died they downloaded their memories into the next cloned body."

Logan was beginning to feel worried; he was picking up a lot of anxiety from the boy. That was not good.

"You actually witnessed this ?" asked Logan.

Q Junior nodded. "It was one of the very few times that we got close to them and only for brief moments; but it was enough."

"Then that technology was abandoned when they landed on Earth...I mean _that _Earth,"said Jean.

"Okay; I can accept that but how the hell did Tory Foster; Saul Tigh and Samuel Anders survive for 2000 years ?" asked Laura.

"Maybe; they are their descendents," said Logan.

Laura snorted in disbelief.

"Think on it; they were trying to get to the 12 Colonies; maybe they succeeded," persisted the captain.

Jean concentrated on a grave looking Q Junior while the captain argued with Laura.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

He nodded; trying to smile reassuringly. "I'm fine...honestly I'm okay."

She gave him a dubious look before turning back to the other two.

Laura was still speaking. "Were you not listening ? Antorria and the others actually said they were researching on how their ancestors survived the trip to their Earth; and that that their _'research' _helped them escape the bombardment of their planet.

How ? By downloading into new bodies!? And how long was the trip from their Earth to where this was recorded? How did they survive the second long journey back to the Colonies !?"

Logan was quiet for a while; he had to admit; she was right.

There were too many questions that needed to be answered.

"So what do we do with this new information? Do we tell them?" asked Jean.

No one answered her for several moments.

The captain stared at the floor for several moments then looked at Q Junior who was trying to hide his anxiety.

"Q...I get the feeling...that you just told us something...that we were not supposed to know."

Laura's eyes narrowed as she focused on Logan.

"What..." she caught Jean looking at her and shaking her head.

Q Junior nodded hesitantly. "I...I didn't before and see where it got us...as a Q... naturally we withhold information and see how you react with what you already have."

Like rats in a maze; thought Logan to himself.

"So...why tell us?" asked Laura in a softer tone.

Q Junior sighed. "What we have got involved in...is way too risky for anyone of you to go in completely blind.

I'm not sure if the information I have given will help...but..."

"It will help; I'd rather know then not," cut in Logan calmly " is there anything else you know?"

Q Junior lifted an eyebrow. " Sure; lots like how the universe_ really_ started..."

Logan held up a hand; relieved at the return of the boy's usual sarcasm.

"I mean anything else significant relating to this...situation."

Q Junior shook his head. " Not really...but if I find out anymore that is relevant..I will discuss it with all of you."

Logan stared at him for a while. The boy had obviously broken some 'Q' rule about what to talk about and he looked like he was waiting for lightening to strike. It might be prudent if they did not push their luck...especially if Q Junior was _really _a member of a 'supernatural' race. Logan still had doubts about that.

"I can live with that."

The obvious relief on the boy's face assured Logan that he had made the right call.

"So; back to Jean's question...do we tell the Colonials about this recorded message or not ?" asked Laura.

Logan looked at his daughter and folded his arms. "What's your opinion?"

Laura did not hesitate to answer.

"Q Junior; no offense to you but telling those crazy colonials about _what _ really went down on Kobol will be a very stupid idea."

"No offense taken," said Q Junior with a relieved grin.

Laura wasn't done. "Secondly; this recording is definitely going to kick off all sorts of chaos if we hand it to the colonials.

They will accuse us of faking the damn thing first of all with the intent of causing a division in their chain of command."

Logan and Jean shared an impressed look at Laura's depth of thinking.

"That holographic projection has the images of 3 prominent people in the fleet. The XO; the president's PA and the Junior Lieutenant."

"So; are you suggesting we don't give it to them ?" asked Q Junior.

Laura was silent for a while. "No; we give them _part _of it; only the audio bit...in the orginal Latin version. Let them spend some time interpreting it."

No one said anything for a while.

"Not a bad idea," said Q Junior approvingly "besides the holograph quality seems to have degraded over the years and it's highly unlikely that the colonial computers are _compatible _with ours."

Logan stared at the teenagers; the holographic quality had been close to perfect.

These kids were beginning to scare him.

"You do realize we will be withholding possible valuable information," said Jean.

Laura turned to her. "Then give them the _intact _version and watch them tear themselves to pieces. How will that benefit the entire fleet ?"

Jean stared at her for a long time; she sighed and looked at Logan.

"This is a tough one...but she's right."

The captain nodded slowly.

"I agree," he looked at Q Junior "but we really have to play this extremely carefully," he turned his gaze on Laura "I'm not totally convinced that three of the people in that video are currently on the Galactica."

Laura opened her mouth to argue.

Logan held up a hand cutting her off. "But stranger things have happened...we just have to keep asking discreetly and looking. Is that understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"There's something else that may be important," said Jean in a serious voice.

She closed her eyes briefly and looked at Laura. "When we were searching for you and Q...I used the CMS to locate the colonials...but I also wanted to know why they hated the cylons so much.

So...I briefly...very briefly glanced through a certain colonial's mind; it was more than enough to scare me.

The mind belonged to Saul Tigh," she paused.

Everyone kept quiet; the three of them knew by now that she was very reluctant in looking into a person's mind.

" He is a very angry man and his hatred for the cylons...is terrifying. He's clearly fought against them more than once and watched them bombard the 12 colonies.

I...I saw a woman's face; one moment she was alive...then she was dead and he blames them."

Jean rubbed a slightly shaky hand against her forehead.

"I did not want to find out _how_ she died...but I got her name.

It was Ellen Tigh...and she looks exactly like Hellena Tighris."

Silence greeted her words; then Laura smiled at the captain.

"Still think they are descendents papa?" she asked in a sing song voice.

Logan sighed. "Okay...then where is the 5th one? Tyre Galenius ?"

"There's only one way to find out," said Q Junior calmly. Logan turned to him to find him staring at the view screen which showed the colonial fleet.

"People; we have now got less than 3 hours until the next meeting; it's time we prepared _our _own set of questions."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Hi everyone ! So sorry for the long wait; work + flu+stress is a horrible combination but I'm back now! Hopefully I can update weekly. Please wish me luck with the remaining of the story. please tell me what you think about the _modification_ of the names of 5 particular characters in Battlestar Galactica! Have fun people!**


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE

I'm late; she is so going to kill me.

This was the thought running through Ander's mind as he deftly weaved his way through the busy noisy crowd that had suddenly appeared on the concrete walkway.

_Concrete...walkway._

He stopped suddenly and realized he was somewhere else. He looked around him with growing anxiety.

He was on a teeming walkway beside a busy road; the people around him were dressed in suits and casual wear but more alarmingly centurions walked amongst them in broad daylight. No one seemed alarmed.

Anders reached for a sidearm and felt nothing; he looked down at himself. He was wearing a well cut black suit and gleaming black leather shoes. In his right hand he had a thick folder which was stuffed with papers.

"What is this?" whispered Anders with growing horror; then something changed.

Silence.

Anders looked around him to see that the crowd had grown eerily silent and everyone; including the centurions were looking towards the skies. He cautiously looked up but the achingly familiar blue looking skies were empty.

He turned towards the nearest person who was standing next to him; a middle-aged brunette wearing a light blue skirt suit.

Anders had to find out what was going on and where in Hades he was. "Er...excuse me; what are we looking at ?"

The woman seemed to ignore him then when he was about to ask again she turned to face him fully.

Anders took a few steps back ; his shout of horror dying on his lips.

The right half of her face was perfect; even the hair was immaculate but the left side was a burnt ruin. A gaping black hole was in place of the left eye.

But she did not appear to be in pain; then she opened her mouth to speak.

"We're looking at our end dear."

Then Anders heard an all too familiar sound; he looked up to see missiles falling towards them; he did not have time to scream before the heat reached him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anders woke up with a shout and in a cold sweat.

"Sam."

The softly spoken voice startled him badly; he almost reached for his weapon before he recognised who was beside him.

Kara. His wife.

"Baby; what's wrong? Bad dreams ?" the concern on her face was real.

It was several moments before Anders could answer; so many thoughts were running through his mind.

This was the first time since New Caprica that Kara had stayed in the same room with him.

After the escape; it was clear that her time as a captive on New Caprica had changed her badly; she had bluntly told Anders she needed time to heal.

Time alone.

It had hurt him badly but he had accepted. However; Kara took it a step further by avoiding him completely. He had almost suspected her of having an affair but his gut instinct told him otherwise.

Especially when he found out she was constantly volunteering for potentially dangerous missions.

It seemed like she was trying to kill herself but Anders did not have a clue as to how to help her.

Then the Thirteenth Tribe showed up; it was still to early to tell but he had already seen a change in her attitude. She seemed more positive...more alive.

Earlier on; after he and Helo had briefed their wives about the first meeting with the Thirteenth tribe; everyone decided to turn in.

He had been stunned when she accompanied him back to their quarters; changed her clothes and turned into bed after a mumbled 'goodnight.' He had stood for several moments staring at her sleeping form before he got into bed beside her. It had taken him more than an hour to sleep because he was so happy she was alive and back in their quarters.

He also knew that it might be for a very brief period but he was going to treasure every moment.

"Sam; I understand if you don't want to talk about..."

"I do," cut in Anders softly.

Kara stared at him for several moments; she was all too familiar with nightmares; some of which she was _never _going to share with anyone. She simply waited patiently for her husband to continue.

Anders closed his eyes briefly. "I'm in a city...wearing civilian clothes and carrying a massive folder."

Kara frowned; Anders was definitely not the suit type.

"I'm rushing to get somewhere ; I know I'm late and that the woman waiting was going to kill me."

Kara felt a flare of jealousy at the thought of a woman waiting for him but she suppressed it as she listened quietly.

"Then I notice something strange; the people around me consisted of colonials and centurions and no one was alarmed by that," he noticed the puzzled look on Kara's face "yeah I know; creepy huh?"

He sighed. " I still can't figure out where we are...then everyone stops moving and looks to the blue skies."

Kara could understand the yearning in his voice when he mentioned the sky; she missed it too.

"I ask a woman standing beside me; why we're looking at the sky..." his voice cracked " but half of her face is burnt away then she says 'we're looking at our end.'

Then I look up to see nukes coming down on us...I feel the heat; I scream and then I wake up."

There was silence for several moments; Kara nestled beside him and gently held him close. She could hear his heart beating rapidly as she laid her head on his bare chest.

He was scared.

"It's okay...Caprica is behind us...we're safe now."

Anders responded by holding her tightly. "I keep telling myself that each time I have that dream but it does not work." The fear in his voice was palpable.

Kara felt herself go still. She looked up at him. "The same dream ? How often ? For how long?"

"Since we left New Caprica; at first it was once or twice a week then in the last week it's been every night."

Kara sighed; post traumatic disorder was rife among the entire fleet; so many had seen their home-worlds decimated by nukes from orbit and the occupation of New Caprica had added fresh new psychological scars.

The medical staff simply did not have a hope in Hades of counselling every affected person; thus the suicide rate was continuing to climb.

Hopefully with the arrival of the Thirteenth Tribe; things might change for the better.

If the powers that be did not frak things up as usual.

Kara sat up and faced her husband placing her hands on his shoulder.

"Listen to me; we have been through a lot...we have all lost so much...I know what you are going through," she blinked rapidly as she felt her eyes tear; she wrapped her hands round his neck. She suddenly had this feeling that she was going to lose him.

"I am _not _going to lose you! The Thirteenth Tribe is here...their home must be close..._we_ are almost home...almost safe."

Anders opened his mouth to speak.

"Shhh," she put a finger on his lips; then slowly kissed him.

"We'll be late for the briefing," whispered Anders against her lips when he came up for air several seconds later.

"We have time," said Kara softly as she kissed him and pulled him back to the bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Galactica; main flight deck; side office...**_

Senior Chief Petty Officer Tyrol Galen froze the image and enlarged the picture. 3 hours ago he had left Cally and their son as they both slept.

He was grateful to the crew of the Xavier for bringing her back in one piece and also for the care that had been given to her injured leg.

But he could not ignore the fact that they had two AIs; their ship's computer and the hologram known as 'Q'.

Tyrol had been called to the Admiral's office and given the task of finding out all he could about the Xavier and the hologram.

Talk about exceeding tall orders.

First of all; it would take a miracle before he would be let unto the Xavier; though to be honest he was itching to have a look at its FTL drive. It must be something to behold.

Second; he had a list a mile long of repairs he had to oversee on the Galactica and the remaining raptors and vipers that were still functioning.

For Gods' sake he hadn't even had a chance to check the raptors and vipers which had barely survived the attack on Hera's planet!

Then last but certainly not least; he doubted the hologram would answer any questions. His instinct told him it was on an important mission for Starfleet and it must have complex in-built firewalls...but one question was; how was it able to leave the Xavier ?

At first he thought that the shuttle had been projecting the hologram but that was quickly discarded when he recalled that earlier on; the hologram had been on the Galactica with the young girl and there was no shuttle or the Xavier in sight.

Tyrol was familiar with holograms; during his years in the Engineering Colonial Academy he had seen such constructs.

But they had not been mobile; neither had they seemed so real and the computer or device projecting them had been sizable.

That had got him re-watching the limited footage they had of the Thirteenth Tribe's hologram.

He first watched the incident in the airlock.

Even though the two 'teens' were okay; he could not help but wince in sympathy when he saw what they had 'survived.

The video had also given him chills especially when Q 'phased' through the wall and when the girl's claws came out to stop her from entering the cold vaccum of space.

Tyrol watched it a few more times before he noticed the small dark circular object on Q's left shoulder.

He turned to the second screen and watched the first official meeting between Captain Logan ; Ensign Q Junior and Admiral Adama and the President.

A part of him was astonished and appalled that a 'computer program' had been given a rank.

Tyrol concentrated on the frozen image of Q Junior; he was seeing him from above. The same small circular object was still on his left shoulder.

"Gotcha," whispered Tyrol to himself. He had found the hardware which had to be projecting the hologram. Now all he had to do was tell the Admiral.

He just wondered what he was planning to do with this information.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The CIC; Admiral's side room...**_

Admiral Adama looked at the two people before him; they had less than 90 minutes until the next meeting with the crew of the Xavier.

When the President and vice president had called him 30 minutes for a quick meeting; he had agreed wondering what was wrong.

Roslin had been straight to the point.

"We need to put someone on the Xavier."

Adama had stared at her. "Excuse me ?"

Zarek chose that point to add his own piece of advice. "Probably more than one person actually; we need to know what they are capable of."

The Admiral had stared at both of them wondering if the lack of sleep was actually scrambling their brain cells.

"I can understand your concern," he started carefully "but they are still very suspicious of us...understandably so," he glared at Zarek who wisely kept his mouth shut.

"I doubt they will welcome such a suggestion."

"Maybe we should put the question to them...in a delicate manner...like exchange of personnel...maybe the doctor could come aboard the Galactica."

Adama was already shaking his head. "Put yourself in the captain's shoes; he's still very upset about what happened to the kids...now you want to ask him to trust us with Dr Grey ? Besides have you forgotten already what she did to the weapons ?"

It was the turn of the president and vice-president to stare at him.

"You actually believe she may have done that ?" asked Laura.

Adama sighed. " I have no idea but...asking one of them to be a potential hostage is not going to flow well."

Zarek and Roslin shared a look.

"What now?" asked Adama as he noticed the exchange.

"The Quorum wants someone to keep an eye on them...and report back to us" said Zarek.

"You mean a spy...this is a very dangerous job..."

"I have already picked the perfect person," interrupted Roslin.

Adama's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"Ensign Billy Rogers."

The Admiral's expression changed from disbelief to icy anger.

"You have already spoken to him." It was not a question.

Roslin held up a placating hand. " I simply stated we may need him for a special assignment but I have not told him what it is yet."

Some of the tension left the Admiral's shoulders; he looked at the two leaders before him.

"He would be a good ambassador...but he's injured."

The two shared another look. Adama simply waited for them to speak.

"That's also one of the reasons I picked him...it will give the Thirteenth Tribe a chance to demonstrate how magnanimous they are."

Adama's anger returned. "You wish to test them ? Have you really thought this through ?"

Roslin did not back down from his fury. "We do not _know_ these people ; their hologram has a military rank for Gods' sakes. We are swimming in unknown waters here Admiral."

Adama maintained eye contact with the President until she was the first to look away.

"I need to discuss this with Ensign Rogers...in detail then I will give you my answer."

A loud knock on the door prevented the President and Vice President from speaking further.

Adama looked at the door. "Come in."

Junior Lieutenant Felix Gaeta came in. " Admiral; President and Vice President I'm so sorry to interrupt but I have some news.

The viper patrols have found Tylium in a nearby system; we're ready to send out the mining ships on your say so sir."

The three stared at the junior lieutenant.

"That is good news; send out the ships with a good escort and inform the Xavier so as not to alarm them," said the Admiral.

"Yes sir..." then Felix Gaeta swallowed nervously "and another thing...Lieutenant Athena Agathon wishes to speak to you before the next meeting ."

"Tell her the Admiral is busy," ordered Zarek coldly.

Gaeta ignored him and concentrated on the Admiral. The vice president's eyes narrowed when he realized the junior officer was refusing to acknowledge him; he opened his mouth to speak.

"I'll see her," said Adama stunning Zarek. The vice president turned to see the Admiral glaring at him and the ex-convict wisely kept quiet.

Zarek had remembered he was a civilian and had no right in ordering an officer when his commanding officer stood before him.

Adama looked at Roslin. "I have taken your advice in consideration and will inform you of the outcome."

She looked at him for a while; he had just politely told her to leave his office so that he could speak to a cylon.

"As you wish," she said softly before leaving with a silent vice president.

Felix kept his eyes straight ahead as the two passed him; he was all too conscious of the glare Zarek sent his way.

"Send her in," said Adama.

"Yes sir," said Gaeta before leaving.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Athena tried not to fidget as she waited for Gaeta. To her relief the colonial officers in the CIC did not pay her much attention; because they were monitoring the Xavier.

She felt her heart lift each time she looked at the ship in the view monitors; she still had hope that they could help.

But she did not know how.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the President and Vice President felt the meeting room. They barely acknowledged her but she had no trouble interpreting the body language.

They were seriously ticked off and she had a good idea who they blamed.

And she did not give a frak what they thought.

"Lieutenant."

She turned back to see Gaeta was standing before her.

"The Admiral will see you now."

Sharon was surprised; she had expected a 'this-is-not-the-right-moment-for-a meeting-with-the-Admiral-who-has-more-important-things-to-do.'

"Eh...thanks Gaeta," said Sharon nervously.

He smiled sadly at her and led her into the Admiral's meeting room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Adama looked up when the two officers entered the room. They both saluted.

The Admiral nodded. "Gaeta; you can leave us now; please send for Ensign Rogers and inform me when he gets here."

"Yes sir," Gaeta left the room.

There was silence for a while.

"Have a seat Lieutenant," said Adama softly.

"Thanks sir," said Sharon after a moment's hesitation.

"How can I help you today Lieutenant ?"

Sharon took a deep breath. "I want to help with the next meeting."

Adama simply looked at her. "How?"

"Sir...they are going to want to know more about the cylons and I'm your best expert."

The Admiral could not help but smile a little. "Our _only _expert actually...fine you're in."

"Because sir I can..." her voice trailed off when she realized what he had just said; she had come here fully prepared to fight for a chance to be at the meeting" I...I'm in?"

"Yes; I presume you're already up to date with the first meeting?"

Sharon opened and closed her mouth.

Adama smiled inwardly; it was inevitable that Helo would tell his wife about the first meeting with the crew of the Xavier.

"Speak with Junior Lieutenant Gaeta and quickly go through the documents we have already received. The meeting is in..." he looked at the watch "roughly 70 minutes you have a lot to catch up on."

Sharon stood up."Thank you sir...I won't let you down," she saluted and left the room.

Adama's expression became grim as she left. But I let you and Helo down...and badly.

He barely had time to rub his forehead wearily before there was another knock at the door.

"Come in."

This time it was Commander Adama and Chief Tyrol.

He sat up when he saw what Chief Tyrol was carrying; it was an epad.

"We've got something that you need to see sir," said Lee.

"Take a seat; what is it?"

The two men sat down as Tyrol attached the epad video monitor in the office.

"Sir; I found what could be the hardware which projects the hologram," said Tyrol as the images came on the screen.

Adama raised his eyebrows. "That was quick; so where is it exactly?"

Tyrol fiddled with the epad and two images appeared side by side on the monitor. "Look at the left shoulder sir."

The Admiral's eyes narrowed when he saw the small circular device; he recalled seeing it when the hologram spoke to him; but he had thought it was a recording device.

"Could it be some sort of recording device ?" asked Lee unknowingly voicing his father's thoughts.

Tyrol sighed. " Maybe; we won't know for sure without asking them, commander."

Lee snorted. "You're asking for the impossible Chief."

The Admiral said nothing; he just kept looking at the frozen images.

"I don't want a word of this getting out; is that understood ?"

The two men looked at him.

"Yes sir," said Tyrol without hesitation.

"Sir why not?" asked Lee with a puzzled look on his face "it might be useful in case we need to take it out."

The Admiral resisted the urge to sigh. "We don't know what that device is...what if we try to destroy it or damage it and it sets off a self-destruct sequence...we haven't even thought of how the rest of the Xavier crew will react to such an attempt."

Lee opened his mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it and said nothing.

"Permission to speak freely Admiral and Commander."

Both men looked at the engineer.

"Go ahead Chief."

"The crew of Xavier have not threatened us...only helped us despite how we reacted to them. For me that goes a long way in showing they could be trusted."

"They have got AIs Tyrol," argued Lee.

"So what if they do ? Maybe they have a good relationship with them...I don't know but I think attacking Ensign Q Junior or trying to incapacitate him will be interpreted as an act of war."

There was silence for several moments.

Admiral Adama nodded. " You're got a valid point Chief and thanks to both of you for making your views known. I appreciate it." He looked at his watch.

"Commander; I need you brief the marines and Lackey who will be next door; once again I will appreciate it if no one gets too excited."

His son nodded as there was a knock at the door.

Admiral Adama looked up; he had an idea who was behind the door.

"Come in."

Gaeta entered. "Ensign Buck Rogers is here sir."

"Send him in," he felt the curious looks from Tyrol and Lee.

"Sir," called the Chief " if I'm not needed; is it okay if I get back to main flight deck ?"

Adama nodded; he knew the engineer had a lot of work to do. "Dismissed."

Lee also turned to go.

"Commander; I would like you to remain for this next meeting."

"Yes sir," said Lee with a puzzled look on his face.

Ensign Rogers came into the room with his left forearm in a sling. He looked tired and anxious. His eyes widened when he saw who else was with the Admiral.

"Admiral, commander," saluted the young pilot.

"At ease ensign, take a seat," said the Admiral; then he looked at the young man carefully. He had corn coloured slightly wavy hair with light blue eyes; at the moment he seemed quite pale and there were dark circles under his eyes.

After the incident in the flight deck; Adama had quickly asked for any available files on the young soldier. What was found was brief.

21 years old; a citizen of Tauron.

At the time of the Holocaust he had been a cadet in his 2nd year at the Academy of Caprica; however due to the ailing health of a family member he had been on Tauron 2 weeks before the attack. He had just been about to depart when the nukes began to fall.

Ensign Buck Rogers like so many others was the only one of his family remaining.

In the past 2 years he had been quickly promoted to Ensign in view of the small number of precious pilots that they had. He had proven to be very good and had an almost uncanny accuracy in shooting down raiders.

"Ensign; do you know why you're here today ?"

The young man swallowed nervously. "Not entirely but I think it has to do with what President Roslin wants me to do."

Commander Lee Adama's expression was one of puzzlement.

The Admiral nodded. "There is a possibility that we will ask the Captain Logan if one of our personnel could act as a go between...this will mean going on board the Xavier. How do you feel about filling that role ?"

Ensign Rogers and the CAG stared at the Admiral in disbelief.

Rogers licked his lower lip nervously. "S..sir; I am ready to serve the fleet."

Lee Adama's eyes narrowed as he looked at the ensign's left forearm which was in a cast and sling; on a closer look he could see the fingers were quite swollen.

"When was your last review with the medics ensign?" asked Lee.

"I've not had one since this was done sir; it's too early for a review."

The CAG said nothing but the expression on his face stated he was not pleased. He and the Admiral exchanged a look; both knew the medical services were overstretched and ridiculously under staffed.

Admiral Adama continued. "Ensign; your willingness to serve is admirable...but you are injured which might prevent you from being on the Xavier," strangely enough the expression that greeted this announcement was one of disappointment.

"However; it will be presented at the meeting; then we will see how the crew of the Xavier respond."

Rogers lips parted in confusion; but nothing came out; instead he nodded.

He stood up.

"Ensign; if they agree...are you comfortable with going to the Xavier ?"

The young pilot smiled. "Sir...nothing would please me more."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Lee waited until the ensign had left before he turned to his father.

"We're sending in a spy; sir ?"

The Admiral sighed. " Not my idea...it was Roslin's and Rogers is _definitely _not spy material."

"He's to be an ambassador," completed Lee.

Adama nodded. "Roslin and Zarek also suggested we offer a similar position to one of Logan's crew on the Galactica."

"Not the hologram I hope," said Lee with a frown.

"Oh no; they suggested Dr Grey," the Admiral smiled dryly at the incredulous look on his son's face.

"Dad; Captain Logan will not let her out of his sight; he will think we want a hostage."

The older man nodded. "That and the fact that she could be more dangerous than the captain; remember what happened on the flight deck ?"

Lee grimaced; how could he forget ? It was bound to give him nightmares.

"But how sure are we it was her and not some weapon on board the shuttle ?" asjed Lee unknowingly echoing the President and Vice president.

"We may never know...but I'm not ready to take that chance."

Adama was silent for a while. "Lee; we're going to have more people at the next meeting."

His son looked at him. "Like who?"

The Admiral hesitated before answering. "Ensign Rogers...and two other people who should have been in the first meeting."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Helo tried not to let his impatience show as he looked at his wrist watch one more time. Where the hell was Anders ?

The briefing was due to start in 5 minutes; he looked at Sharon.

She was already seated and was more than half way through the documents that Gaeta had given her.

A few seats away was Ensign Rogers; since he came in ; he had kept to himself and said very little.

The other colonial officers in the room were clearly restless and a bit jittery but there was a feeling of hope.

Because of the Thirteenth Tribe.

It was ironic; because despite Captain Logan stating he knew nothing of Kobol; it did not deter them from thinking of him as their brother.

Even if he had metal claws implanted in his forearms.

The hologram was another matter; he scared the living daylights out of the select few who knew what he was.

Admiral Adama had sternly warned those who had heard the first meeting; that nothing was to be said about the true nature of Ensign Q Junior.

Helo wondered if there was a hologram out there that was called Q Senior and what it's abilities could be.

"Helo; you alright ?".

The pilot looked up to see that Anders had finally arrived; the pilot was unusually cheerful and he had someone with him that Helo had not expected.

Starbuck.

"You're late!" he whispered harshly when the two got close to him " and what is she doing here ?! She could get us court-martialled!"

Starbuck gave him the evil eye. "Frak you too sunshine."

Helo glared at her while Anders actually smiled. "Relax; the Admiral sent a message to our quarters for her to be present for the briefing."

The captain blinked in surprise. "The Admiral approved her presence? At what time exactly?"

To Helo's surprise; the two adults in-front of him looked at each other and blushed; he had a strange feeling that these two were no longer 'separated'.

Everyone in the fleet had noticed when Kara and Anders started having problems; come to think of it ; it was only in the last 2 days that he noticed the two of them appearing together.

"Kara?" the three turned to see Sharon had joined them "you got approval to be here ? That's good news!"

Starbuck grinned as she looked at a stunned Helo. "You see ? That's how to greet a friend."

Helo was saved from replying when Commander Adama walked into the room.

Everyone was quick to take their seats.

Lee didn't waste time getting to the point.

"Alright people we have got the second meeting with the crew of the Xavier in less than 25 minutes. Another thing to note is that the scout vipers discovered Tylium nearby."

This was met by sounds of excitement.

"That is currently been looked into; however our main concern is how we treat Captain Logan and his crew.

I know they may seem odd but your job is to observe and not to do anything that could jeopardise the possibility of an alliance."

Everyone sat straighter at the last word.

"Ensign Rogers and Lieutenant Agathon will be assisting in the talks; while Captain Agathon; Lieutenant Thrace and Junior Lieutenant Anders will be supervising the marines next door.

Are there any questions?"

Lee was a bit dismayed when almost every hand came up.

He pointed at one of the lieutenants in front of him.

"Is the hologram dangerous sir?"

Oh frak yes; thought Lee.

"We don't know so far he has not threatened any of us and; but you need to be observant."

He felt a set of eyes on him and was not surprised to see Anders glaring at him.

"What should we look out for ? Will it be advisable to search them the next time they come on board ?"

"No searching; that will upset them and we do not want a repeat of what happened on the flight deck," it was satisfying seeing all of them go pale at the thought " as to what to look out for...I don't know. I just pray we'll know what to do _if_ anything goes wrong."

This time there were no more questions.

"Lieutenant Starbuck; Lieutenant Sharon Agathon and Ensign Rogers will accompany me to the flight deck to welcome our guests," he paused " may the Gods help us all."

A majority of the officers looked startled at his ending words.

"So say we all," chorused some of the stunned officers.

"Dismissed," said Lee before he looked at the three people he called. They were already standing and moving towards him.

"Commander," greeted the three pilots when they got close to him.

"You three will be part of the escort to the meeting room; only Rogers and Agathon will be in the meeting," he looked at Starbuck " you will be supervising the marines in the next room with Anders and Helo. Try your damnest to keep them calm."

Kara tried very hard not to laugh; 'peacemaker' was not her middle name.

"I'll do my best sir."

Lee's eyes narrowed. " You better."

Then he left with the three not far behind.

Helo and Anders shared a worried look.

They both knew what their wives _were _really planning; they were all going to get court-martialled for sure when the truth came out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**Federation space; The USS Dunkirk; Nova Class; the Captain's ready room...**_

Captain Terence Singh re-read the urgent message that had been sent just a few minutes ago.

A stone in a pond is bound to cause ripples.

So would a tear in time and space; a temporal disruption had been located in the Romulan Neutral Zone.

The anomaly had been barely detectable at first.

But now it was growing bigger and had already destroyed a few permanent sensors that had been placed by both the Romulan Empire and the Federation.

Which was probably why Starfleet had ordered the nearest science vessel; one Intrepid class starship and a Nebula class starship to get to the border as soon as possible.

Terence was certain that the Romulans were already there; what was astonishing was that the Empire had also _**asked**_ for the Federation to assist in the investigation.

If the Romulans were asking for help...then he had every reason to be worried.

Ever since the end of the Dominion War; the Romulans had gone from reluctant allies to arrogant isolated unfriendly neighbours.

The Klingon Empire was still recovering from the devastation the war had caused and the Cardassian Empire was still a shadow of its former self.

The only two significant powers in their region of space were the Federation and the Romulan Empire.

And their ideologies were direct opposites of each other.

Many would say that made them natural enemies.

Singh's thoughts were interrupted when he sensed and recognised the two minds which were approaching the door; as usual they seemed excited. They must have made a breakthrough of some sort.

He felt his heart sink because the two personnel were about to have their current research cut shut because of the message he just got.

He waited for the soft bell sound which indicated someone was waiting to come in.

"Enter," said the empath in a clear voice.

Science Officer Commander Shila Atavi and Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti walked into the ready room; they could barely hide their excitement.

"Sir, a moment of your time," started Atavi; the orion female was grinning broadly as she gripped the data epad in her hand.

Singh nodded; he might as well hear first what they had achieved.

"Ensign Kadretti was able to successfully demonstrate strengthening and prolonging the hold of a tractor beam and also showed how to successfully break away using _only _sub-light speed.

The captain could not help but raise an eyebrow.

"It would be perfect for training stimulations at the academy and also for the upcoming Federation_Klingon Academy War Games sir," eagerly added Ensign Kadretti .

The Federation-Klingon Academy War Games had been created a few years after the Kitomer Accords.

Once a year; cadets were selected from both the Federation and Klingon Academies to compete against each other in mock battles.

It had surprisingly led to long time friendships between the cadets and also strengthened the Alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

The captain transferred his amused gaze to the ensign who had Klingon and human heritage; he wondered whose idea this must have been.

"That is fascinating," he said with a slight smile "but I'm afraid that further testing will have to be suspended until we complete our current assignment."

Atavi's and Kadretti's smiles were replaced by puzzled expressions.

"We have a new assignment Captain?" asked the orion science officer.

"I was about to come out and inform the others...as of this moment we are to head to the Neutral Zone...the Romulans have detected what may be a temporal anomaly."

Singh sensed the astonishment from the orion and...apprehension from Kadretti.

Atavi's eyes widened. "That's impossible; we've had sensors in that area for _**decades**_; such an anomaly has never existed in that section of space."

The Captain nodded. " I know." As an officer in Starfleet it was imperative that the boundaries and the contents of the Neutral Zone were memorised because of the fragile 'alliance' with the Romulans.

"Another interesting fact is that the Romulans asked for our assistance," continued the Captain.

The orion frowned. "That is strange."

The captain looked at the silent ensign; the sense of apprehension from her was increasing.

"Ensign Kadretti...are you alright?"

The slim female junior officer straightened her spine as she answered. " No sir...just curious."

Singh narrowed his eyes; he knew that most Klingons had a 'natural' animosity towards the Romulans; but the feeling he was getting from the ensign was...numbing fear.

"How long until we reach the Neutral Zone ?" asked Atavi after she gave Kadretti a brief curious look. Obviously she was not sensing the unease that Singh could.

"We need to meet up with the USS Zeus and USS Endeavour at Starbase 47; in total it will take us 14 hours at maximum warp to get there."

Atavi nodded with a thoughtful frown on her face. "I'll get the others ready for a briefing captain."

"I would appreciate that Commander," then he looked at Ensign Kadretti; her face was blank. Singh wanted to ask her again if anything else was wrong but he hesitated. Maybe the betazoid Counsellor Mhira might be able to help; but Singh decided to wait and give the ensign time to approach the counsellor on her own.

"If there's nothing else sir, we will return to our duties," said Atavi respectively.

"Of cause," agreed Singh. The two left quietly; the bounce in their steps obviously absent.

The captain stared at the closed door for a long time; he had a feeling he had missed an opportunity to discover something very important.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

**Hi everyone! Hope you had a great week. I thought maybe it's time to introduce some members of starfleet.**

**Thanks so much for your reviews; please read and enjoy. I will try and update weekly.**

**Have a great week everyone!**


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20 OF THE PHOENIX AND THE WOLVERINE

_**Space; the last co-ordinates of the Colonial Fleet...**_

The two cylon scouts emerged from the jump and immediately began to search the area for their targets. Their sensor picked up specific traces of decaying radiation which indicated that colonials ships had been there recently.

They had missed them by 6 hours; 20 minutes and 14 seconds.

Of the 'alien' ship...they were unsure of what to look for; so they could only rely on the visual sensors and DRADIS.

The scouts flew lazily around the system; searching for any sign of the fleet and the Xavier. Once they were satisfied that there was no sign of them; they began to transmit their data.

Then they waited for the next set of instructions.

_**The Galactica; the Flight bay...**_

Commander Lee Adama stared straight ahead as the sleek alien looking shuttle slowly drifted into the bay. As usual he had marines waiting on deck but he had reduced their numbers slightly.

He had sternly warned them to appear professional and non-threatening. Sharon, Kara and Rogers stood behind him and wisely kept silent.

The craft swung round gently as its settled to the flight deck; after a few minutes the side door opened.

Lee found himself trying to see as much as he could into the shuttle but it was too far away to make out the interior.

Captain Logan got out first; he was wearing a grey shirt with rolled up sleeves. He was followed by the hologram who was still in it's red and black uniform. At the moment it seemed to be lifting out a long cylinder like structure which was roughly 4 feet high.

"What the frak are those ?" muttered Kara; she sounded worried.

"Let's find out," said Lee softly. He started walking towards the shuttle. Sharon and Kara looked at each other before following the CAG. A silent pale Rogers was not far behind.

As the four got closer to the shuttle; the hologram removed two more towers like the first one.

Logan looked up as they approached. "Commander Adama."

"Captain Logan; do you require assistance ?" asked Lee. Now that he was closer he could see what appeared to be lots of files with writings on the front and the side. He quickly looked at the hologram and saw the small circular device was still on his left shoulder.

"Not really; I think Q has got the rest out," said Logan then his gaze settled on Starbuck , Sharon and Rogers.

"Lieutenant Thrace; Lieutenant Agathon ...and Ensign Rogers. I see you're our new welcoming committee," said Logan in a dry voice.

"Good to see you again Captain," said Sharon carefully.

Logan looked at her; he glanced at the CAG as he answered. "Glad someone thinks so."

Lee felt his face heat up. "What are these ?"

Q Junior answered him. "Part of what the President asked for Commander."

"Part?" asked Kara.

"Yes Lieutenant Thrace...I don't believe we have met. I'm Ensign Q Junior," he stuck out his right hand.

Kara stared at it for a few seconds then fully conscious of everyone watching her; she shook Q's hand a bit gingerly. To her amazement it felt solid ; like a real hand.

To his credit the hologram did not show any sign that he noticed her hesitation; he pointed to the towers of files.

"This is a brief summary of the history of Earth until present date; I'm afraid a full history will need a lot more paper," he paused " however I do have an epad with the full history of Earth and the Federation." He pointed towards the small bag he was carrying.

"We'll discuss it with the Admiral," said Lee barely hiding the distrust in his voice.

Q Junior shrugged then turned to Lieutenant Sharon who was watching him closely.

"I'm Lieutenant Agathon," she also stuck out her right hand and Q Junior took it with a smile.

The smile dimmed a bit when he saw Ensign Rogers.

"Ensign Rogers," said Q Junior with a nod.

. The pilot looked a bit surprised at the hologram's curt greeting.

"Good to see you Ensign Q," Rogers opened his mouth to say something else then realized the Captain of the Xavier was watching him closely.

"Glad...you brought this stuff," continued the colonial ensign awkwardly. Unbeknownst to them he had been about to ask about Laura, in the nick of time he remembered that her father stood next to him.

And he had very sharp long metal claws.

Rogers saw the Captain of the Xavier raise an eyebrow as if he knew what he was thinking.

"Now that we have all been introduced...I just have a few questions before we go for the meeting."

Everyone looked at the CAG.

"Are there any weapons we should be aware of?"

Logan stared at him.

"I mean apart from your enhancements," said Lee hastily.

"I assure you that the devices on my person are only used for analysis; recording ; diagnostic and therapeutic purposes...they are not weapons," said Q Junior saving Lee from embarrassing himself further.

Lee looked at the hologram; in his mind he saw Q Junior as a potentially dangerous weapon and wished the 'Ensign' was back on board the Xavier.

"Fine...do you need help transporting the documents ?" asked Lee.

The hologram smiled at him. "Nope; they are on 3 mobile grav-lifts which are touch-keyed to follow us to the meeting room."

Lee nodded; then hesitated before asking the question which was plaguing him. "Do you mind telling us what that device on your left shoulder is for?"

He was watching Q Junior carefully and saw the smile leave the hologram's face.

"It's my holoemitter; is there a problem ?"

Lee successfully kept the smile out of his voice; Tyrol had been right.

Now he knew Q Junior's weakness.

"Not at all; please come this way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan observed his surroundings as he walked to the meeting room; this time they only had an escort of two marines who walked behind him. They gently pushed two of the grav-platforms while Q Junior pushed the 1st one in front of the small group.

The teenager was talking with Sharon. It was obvious that she regarded Q Junior with some awe and disbelief.

She most likely was finding it hard to believe that the boy was a hologram.

While Lee Adama kept glancing at the boy like a cat which was eyeing its prey. It had to be the damn holo-emitter; the CAG was probably thinking that was Q's weak point.

Logan resisted the urge to wipe the smug look off the CAG's face.

"How's Dr Grey?"

He turned to face Lieutenant Starbuck who was regarding him warily as she walked beside him.

"She's fine. Who did you piss off to get stuck with guard duty ?" asked Logan bluntly.

Kara smiled, she could relate to his frank attitude. " I got lucky; besides Sharon and I kinda know you more than the rest of the fleet."

"So you're supposed to be the familiar face huh ? How's Specialist Cally ; Hotdog and Nails?"

Kara was pleased and surprised that he had remembered the others.

"They are alright; Cally is resting as she should and the others have resumed their duties."

Lee turned his head to give her a stern look.

What the frak is his problem ? Thought Kara; she hadn't exactly given any sensitive information !

"Well; glad to hear someone is having a good day."

Kara nodded; then approached the next question carefully.

"Pardon me for asking...is your daughter alright ?"

This time Lee gave her a stunned then furious look.

Logan looked at her for several moments before answering. "She's one tough kid...she's okay; thanks again for asking."

Kara released a slight sound of relief; she had been 90% sure that Logan would shut her out for asking about his daughter who the XO almost killed.

In a few more minutes they reached the same meeting room that Logan and Q Junior had been in.

Before they entered Logan heard Q Junior ask Sharon about an Ensign Sara Calter; she looked confused until Ensign Rogers came to her rescue.

"The last time I saw her; she had splints attached to her legs. She's doing a lot better thanks to you. The others are also well."

He speaks; thought Logan with amusement.

Then he noticed how Q Junior grudgingly thanked the ensign for the update.

What's up with Junior? Logan looked at Ensign Rogers; apart from looking a bit pale with a left forearm cast, he did not have a threatening attitude around him.

Logan made a mental note to ask Q Junior what the problem was when they were back on the shuttle.

And then again the cast was evidence of recent injury. Why was he at this meeting ?

Lee Adama just observed the conversation with a blank expression.

Once they reached the meeting room, Logan noticed that Kara waited outside; while Agathon and Rogers went in with their small group.

"Let me guess; you're to be ...next door," Logan's eyes went to a closed door on the right side of the meeting room.

The marines were now in a different room; but that did not stop Logan from smelling the fear and anxiety coming from the new room.

Kara stared at him in shock. "Eh...yeah."

"Hope you enjoy the show," said Logan with a small smile as he entered the meeting room behind the CAG.

The female colonial pilot stared at the door long after it had closed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Sharon tried to keep calm as they entered the meeting room.

Earlier, when the shuttle had landed she had hoped Dr Grey would be attending this meeting. Her disappointment at not seeing the doctor was replaced with curiosity when she saw Ensign Q; the hologram.

He was absolutely fascinating; she was finding it very hard to believe that he was a hologram. He had the mannerisms of an eager to please teenager.

He seemed so real.

Sharon's thought returned to the present as she focused on the people already waiting in the meeting room.

Admiral Adama; President Roslin; the Vice president; Tory Foster and Lieutenant Gaeta.

Astonishingly; there were no armed marines present.

Their eyes widened when they saw the piles of files that Q Junior had arranged.

As for the colonials; they had prepared a single small pile of files and what looked like a colonial data epad.

Everyone stood to welcome them.

"Captain," said Admiral Adama " and Ensign Q, welcome back."

"Admiral; President and Vice president," said Logan calmly as they all resumed their seats.

Roslin looked once more at the huge files before concentrating on the captain.

"Thanks for coming back...for this second meeting we will have Lieutenant Sharon Agathon and Ensign Rogers joining us.

The lieutenant is our chief resident expert on cylons...because she's one of them."

A thoughtful look appeared on the captain's face as he looked at the uncomfortable looking cylon.

"We're already aware of the fact that she is a cylon."

"How do you know this?" asked Zarek in a confrontational manner.

Logan looked at him. "The scanners of the Xavier picked up on the fact when she came on board."

"So; you can tell she's not human," said Zarek with some smug certainty.

Sharon felt her face heat up and was sure it was quite red.

Logan narrowed his eyes. "What the scans stated was that she was humanoid with a slightly different DNA structure which is almost similar to the DNA of a human of Earth ancestry...so in summary she's probably as human as you or I."

Zarek stared at him in shock; he opened his mouth to speak.

Sharon smiled inwardly at the expression on the vice-president's face.

"I'm sure this would be a fascinating debate for us to discuss at length in the near future but right now we need to concentrate of more important matters," interjected Admiral Adama before he gave in to the temptation to shoot the stupid vice-president.

"Agreed," said Roslin who gave the vice president a very stern look; the two glared at each other for a few moments before Zarek backed down.

"Captain Logan; we have complied a summary of our history but in order for you to appreciate the full history of the Colonies of Kobol and our religion; we have also complied a data epad."

Logan could not help but share a look with Q Junior.

President Roslin expected them to trust _Colonial_ electronic devices ?

"Madam President, thanks for the files and the data epad.

However; as well as compiling a large number of documents which briefly explain Earth's history; I have also complied a data epad of Earth's history, religions and government and also the history of the Federation.

The data padd connectivity has been disabled so it is not networked with the Xavier."

Q Junior brought out the data padd and laid it on the table beside the colonial epad. The two devices were in no way alike.

The colonial epad was thicker and bulkier ; while the Federation device was slim and looked extremely light.

Talk about comparing a 2004 Ferrari to a 1950s beetle Volkswagen.

Logan could not help but smile drily when he saw the expressions before him. It was a mixture of fear and eagerness to take the data padd.

"I appreciate the gesture...but we will start with the paper documents first; please keep the data padd," said Roslin as she covered up her uneasiness concerning Q Junior's data padd.

Q Junior tried to hide his disappointment as he retrieved the data padd; Gaeta watched it go with longing in his eyes.

Logan was ready to bet his next cigar that the Junior Lieutenant would have loved to take the data padd apart in order to see how it worked.

Roslin looked at the next topic on her list and then turned to Zarek and nodded.

"I have a few questions about the ...allies of Earth. How involved are they in Earth's government?" asked Zarek with a frown on his face.

Logan looked at Q Junior. "You're up Ensign."

Q Junior answered carefully. "Each member of the Federation has a central government which rules their planet.

Under the rules of the Federation each planet has autonomy. So the other governments do not interfere and neither does Earth interfere in their affairs.

The Federation is more of an alliance of worlds which works together to protect each other and maintain the peace."

Adama narrowed his eyes at the last few words.

"Who is the leader of the Federation?" asked Roslin.

"The leader is elected every 6 years; eligible candidates are citizens of the Federation. However the Capital of the Federation is Earth.

The current leader is a human female; Nanietta Bacco; since 2379."

Admiral Adama raised an eyebrow. "You let aliens...like the Vulcans and Andorians govern Earth ?"

"They are not just responsible for Earth Admiral; but for the entire Federation which has more than 180 home-worlds as members and 1000s of planets as colonies," said Logan calmly " it's a big job so why shouldn't each planet get a chance to share the burden?"

Logan noted the various expressions of discomfort and disbelief. Only Sharon stared at him with what looked like...hope.

Talk about xenophobia, this was just getting better and better; thought Logan sarcastically.

Zarek looked at his document then at Logan squarely.

"Well; we need to get to Earth...are you willing to give us the co-ordinates ?"

Admrial Adama looked at the vice president with barely concealed surprise while Roslin just stared at him.

It looks like Zarek is not following the script thought Logan.

" You want the co-ordinates for Earth?" It was not a question.

Logan looked at each of the colonials.

"Okay...just please tell me if you're prepared to go to war."

Everyone tensed at his last words.

"What do you mean?" asked Admiral Adama warily.

Logan stared at him. "We're about 4 months from Federation Space at maximum warp. Anyone going in the direct route will run into the Romulans; the Klingons and a lot of other races out there.

I have watched your reactions when Q mentioned the other alien races; they range from disbelief to disgust.

Believe me when I state that it's that _kind of _attitude that these races will interpret as an insult which can lead to a declaration of war."

Stunned silence followed his words.

Adama stared at Logan and could see that he was deadly serious.

"Most humans are considered as citizens of the Federation; there are a few who are not..."

"So any aliens meeting us may automatically assume we are part of the Federation?" interrupted Tory Foster.

Everyone looked at her and she flushed at the scrutiny.

"Yes, Ms Foster," agreed Logan "now do you see why you need us to help you get to Federation space?"

Apart from the obvious fact that the cylons are looking for you thought Logan.

"Captain Logan...asking us to trust you is a huge risk," said Roslin plainly.

Logan tilted his head to one side. "Mrs President; you want me to give you the co-ordinates of our homeworld...Earth. You _also _have the cylons after you.

Which one of us is taking a bigger risk ?"

Admiral Adama could not help but agree, but he was responsible for 40,000 lives and he was tired of seeing his people die slowly...day by day.

"So...what can we do to reduce the risk?" asked the Admiral.

Logan met his steady gaze with one of his own.

This man is a warrior ; definitely not a diplomat, thought the Admiral.

"We can't reduce the risk," stated Logan bluntly " but we can prepare for it."

Zarek found himself leaning forward. "How?"

Logan was quick in answering. "Intel...lots of it," he turned to Sharon.

Admiral Adama felt the tension reduce in the room somewhat. Captain Logan was not thinking of abandoning them but he seemed determined to find out everything about their now common enemy.

The cylons.

"What do you want to know?" asked Sharon after she got a nod from the Admiral.

Logan seemed to relax in his seat. "First of all...what were you and the cylons doing on the planet ?"

"You mean Hera's planet ?" asked Lee Adama.

The captain looked at him. "Interesting name...what were you doing there?"

"We found co-ordinates which led us to that system and that planet," said Roslin softly. She ignored the angry look from Zarek.

Ensign Q frowned thoughtfully. "Ma'am; if you don't mind me asking...where did you get the co-ordinates?"

Roslin looked at the 'ensign'; she seemed to be uneasy at addressing a hologram.

"It was a prophecy in our most sacred religious writing...the Sacred Scrolls of Kobol."

Ensign Q's eyes widened. Admiral Adama watched him closely.

"Something the matter ensign?"

Q stared at him. "I...you got your co-ordinates from...a Holy book?" he sounded stunned "how old is this book?"

"No one really knows," answered Gaeta to the surprise of everyone, he was staring intently at the hologram.

"Some say it's more than 20 millennia old; others state much younger. However, it's been right so far...what do you believe in Ensign Q?"

Q Junior looked at him with a puzzled look on his face. "Are we talking about religion here or..."

"Yes, it's about religion...which God do you serve?" asked Gaeta in a confrontational voice.

"Lieutenant..." started Commander Adama.

"None," replied Ensign Q Junior who was now in a staring contest with the Junior Lieutenant; the puzzled expression had been replaced with a firm expression.

"However, if your next question is if I believe in the existence of _'omnipotent beings'_...then the answer will be yes. Next question?" Q's tone was icy cold.

Everyone stared at him. Gaeta opened his mouth to speak.

"People," growled Logan. Sharon's throat constricted at the almost feral light in the captain's eyes.

"Once again...we get side tracked by _religion._ Well guess what? Theological discussions are not going to get us to Earth any faster or safer so will someone please answer the question I asked in the first place ?

What the hell were you and the cylons doing on Hera's planet?"

Roslin forced her fingers to relax around the file she had been gripping tightly.

When the hologram stated he served no one but believed in Gods she thought she was going to have a heart attack. The 'ensign' had looked so angry.

"We were looking for you," answered Sharon in a clear voice.

Logan and Ensign Q Junior looked at her in surprise.

"Explain," said Logan.

Sharon continued without looking at the Admiral for permission. " There was a prophecy that a member of the Thirteenth Tribe will be in the Temple of Hera...and that this person will know the way to Earth." She paused.

"You and Dr Grey were there Captain on the exact date that the alignment and eclipse was supposed to occur."

Logan said nothing for a long time; there was a thoughtful frown on his face.

"That's astonishing," said Ensign Q Junior; his tone was less cold " but how did the cylons get there as well? Do they have access to this book as well?"

Roslin and Zarek winced; confirming Q Junior's suspicions.

"It's possible that they have access to the same source," said Tory Foster.

Logan looked up at the people in the room and seemed to come to a decision.

"We were passing through the system when we picked up a radio signal," he noted their looks of disbelief " we decided to investigate...and found the ruins and a message."

Admiral Adama looked closely at Captain Logan. His gut instinct told him the man in-front of him was not lying but that there was something about the message which worried him a lot.

"What was the message?" asked Zarek.

Logan turned to him. " Maybe, it's better if you listened to it...we recorded it on a tricorder in the temple before the earthquake started."

Commander Adama shared a look of disbelief with Gaeta.

An earthquake?

Logan looked at Q Junior and nodded.

The ensign touched the screen of the data epadd as he spoke. "The temple was 3500 years old and according to the writing on the entrance, it was called Hera's Temple.

According to the recording; it's also known as Temple of Hope.

However the recording is 2000 years old," before anyone could say a word he pressed a symbol on the screen.

There was stunned silence as words spoken in ancient Kobolian filled the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Starbuck bit her lower lip nervously as she watched the meeting.

Everyone was quiet and also concentrating on what was on the giant video monitor.

Tyrol turned to nod slightly to her before turning back to observe the meeting.

Lieutenant Ann Lackey; the linguist had a thoughtful frown on her face as she watched the meeting.

Starbuck used this opportunity to study the hologram.

He looked so real; that it was scary. She had expected his hand to feel cold and unnatural.

But it had been solid like that of a human.

Who had made him? Were there many more like him? Was his kind a threat to the fleet?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Gaeta asked Q Junior a direct question.

"Oh frak," muttered Anders softly; his voice was filled with despair.

Starbuck was inclined to agree with her husband, what in the name of Hades was Gaeta thinking?

Then she heard Q Junior's answer and felt faint; as everyone muttered worryingly around her. She dimly heard Helo order everyone to stay calm before silence reigned once more.

That hologram believed in '_Gods'_ ? This was beyond weird.

Then she watched Logan take control of the situation; this was one soldier she would be happy to fight alongside with but _never _against.

Everyone listened quietly as Sharon explained why the colonials had been to Hera's planet; then it was Captain Logan's turn to explain how his ship also found the same place.

"Radio signal?," whispered one of the marine " I don't believe it; I bet that planet was one of their secret bases...why are they lying to us?!"

Great so _everyone_ thinks Hera's planet is a _secret _base of the Thirteenth Tribe, thought Kara drily.

"You would do the same if you were in their shoes," said Kara "so quit complaining and pay attention."

The marine looked at her then turned away. "Yes sir."

Kara turned back to the screen just in time to hear Ensign Q Junior explain how old the temple and message were; then he pressed some symbols on the surface of the device. She felt her lower jaw drop when the words of ancient Kobolian filled the room. Lieutenant Lackey held up a hand for silence as she turned up the volume.

The female pilot felt her heart beat rapidly. Never in her life had she heard it spoken so fluently and smoothly. She could catch a few phrases here and there but even before the Holocaust, it was only the priests and priestesses who could speak a couple of phrases.

For Ancient Kobolian was an almost dead and extinct language; very few scriptures written in the old language existed before the Holocaust.

At the moment only two of ancient tomes existed in the whole refugee fleet.

There was silence for several moments when the recording ended; Kara noticed Lackey looked very pale and her right hand was shaking as she scribbled furiously on a notepad.

That was not a good sign.

In the next room; Admiral Adama looked at Captain Logan.

"You recognise the language?" it was not a question.

Logan nodded. " On Earth; it's known as Ancient Latin...it was written on different places in Hera's temple."

Roslin covered her mouth quickly; her hand was shaking. She was trying to hold back the tears.

Adama saw the hard expression on Logan's face soften a bit.

"Madam President... we did not mean to cause you distress."

Roslin waved away his words as she tried to compose herself. It was a few moments before she could speak.

"Captain Logan...that recording more than confirms that we are the same family. Do you not see it?"

Logan sighed. " Madam President...I believe in what I can see and understand.

I can see and understand the Colonial Fleet needs to stay ahead of the cylons. I also know that we need to work together to get to Earth.

But what I don't know is if the people of Earth are _really _related to the Thirteenth Tribe. Did you understand any bit of the recording?"

"You know what it means," said Zarek with a suspicious look on his face.

Logan nodded. " We had the ship's computer translate it...a lot of questions have been raised."

Admiral Adama narrowed his eyes. " We need to translate it fully...before we make any assumptions."

Logan looked at him and had no trouble interpreting the expression on the Admiral's face. The colonial was not ready to accept any 'ancient' recording until he had his people break down the recording and check for any irregularities.

Logan wished them the best of luck.

"Of course."

"Maybe we should listen to your own version."

Logan could not help but raise an eyebrow as he looked at Zarek.

The vice president had a speculative glint in his eyes. Admiral Adama pressed his lips together.

Clearly he did not approve.

"We are trying to work out an alliance and there is a lot we do not know of each other. Something tells me this recording _needs_ to be heard now," continued Zarek.

Roslin narrowed her eyes and looked at him.

"I think we need to let our people listen to it first," said Admiral Adama in a firm voice.

Zarek looked at him and smiled coldly as he shook his head.

"I want to hear it now...what do you think Mrs President?"

Roslin stared at him for a long time; as if trying to see through him.

Logan knew what this was.

A power play and the crew of the Xavier were smack down in the middle of it.

This was so bloody hilarious that it was a wonder he wasn't laughing.

The president turned to Logan and Q Junior.

"Do you have your version here?"

The ensign looked at Logan who nodded back slowly.

"Yes Mrs President."

Roslin looked at his epadd. "Play it please."

"Yes Ma'am ," said Q Junior respectively before he reached for his device and pressed a symbol on the screen.

This time the room was deathly silent as the message was replayed in a language that all could understand.

Logan watched each of them intently as they listened.

Tory Foster was transfixed by the message but did not look guilty or act as if she recognised it.

Felix Gaeta went pale when he heard the tired and broken voice of Sauren Anderson.

Laura Roslin covered her mouth with her right hand; she was barely able to hide her surprise and despair.

The CAG was staring at the epadd as if it was a venomous snake.

Sharon's head was tilted to one side and had a puzzled look on her face.

Zarek was also looking at the epadd and trying to absorb everything that was been said.

But Admiral Adama and Ensign Rogers were staring back at Logan and Q Junior.

Logan said nothing but nodded slightly.

After a few moments; Adama nodded back in return.

Both of them knew that this message had the potential to cause a lot of problems if handled badly.

Logan was suddenly glad he had listened to Laura and not shown the full holographic message.

That would have caused a mutiny.

All too soon the message ended.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

"What did we just listen to?" whispered one of the marines in a fearful tone.

No one answered. Kara looked at Ann Lackey; the lieutenant caught her eye and nodded.

Starbuck suppressed a gasp.

That meant that the interpretation was more or less accurate.

Kara felt her heart rate pick up rapidly. What the frak did it all mean?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Logan and Q Junior kept silent as they watched the colonials absorb what they had just heard.

They did not have to wait long for the questions.

"What does this mean?" asked Roslin.

Logan shrugged. "I don't know...I was hoping you could tell us."

"It sounds like they were running from something," said Q Junior. Logan glared at him and he shut up immediately.

Zarek's eyes narrowed. "Please; I would _love_ to hear Ensign Q's opinion."

Logan sighed. " Well Junior; what have you got to say ?"

Everyone watched the hologram intently. Q Junior swallowed nervously before replying.

"From just listening to that recording...it seems like the 5 people were fleeing a disaster on their home-world...and were trying to get to the 12 Colonies.

Which I believe is where you are from...originally."

This was met by silence.

"Why were they fleeing from a disaster?" asked Lee Adama in a soft puzzled voice.

Q Junior looked at Logan for help. He shook his head grimly.

"You wanted to answer the question...well what do you think?"

Admiral Adama was a bit worried to see the hologram turn a bit pale.

Gods above he behaved like a real male teenager !

"Their creation turned against them," completed Sharon to everyone's surprise; she was staring at Q Junior. "Is that what happened on Earth?"

Roslin covered her eyes briefly; she looked very ill.

"That could not have occurred on our _**Earth**_," said Logan firmly.

Adama stared at him. "Explain; if you can."

"Admiral; that recording is 2500yrs old.

When you have time to go through the files we brought you, it will come to your notice that 2500 years ago was the year 118B.C. on Earth.

At that time we_ definitely did not _have space ships or robots or secret bases in deep space.

The most advanced mode of transport at the time was big boats, horses and carriages. The weapons of the day were battering rams, trebuchets, swords, bows, arrows and _spears._"

They stared at him in astonishment.

"We first landed on Earth's moon 422 years ago; and discovered FTL capability 319 years ago...so how can our _**Earth**_ be the one these five were fleeing from?"

Sharon licked her lips nervously. The tension in the room was palpable.

"Sirs...if I may speak."

Everyone looked at Rogers who had raised a hand a bit timidly.

Admiral Adama stared at the pale young pilot; he had almost forgotten he was in the room. He hesitated for a moment before he agreed.

"Go ahead son."

Roger nodded , then swallowed nervously before continuing.

"Captain Logan; I'm no expect...but what if the devastation was so bad that only a few survived ?

All knowledge and past history was lost...the few survivors having to start from scratch.

That would explain why your Earth of today does not have any recollection of the Kobol; the Great Exodus and the 12 Colonies."

Ensign Q Junior's eyes widened in surprise.

Logan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That...sounds plausible...but will be very difficult to confirm."

Roslin tilted her head. "But not impossible ?"

Logan shook his head. "Not really...a lot has been lost from our past; you have no idea how much. It's taken centuries to recover a huge part of it." Logan was thinking of the Burnt Libraries of Alexandria and other lost histories.

Q Junior struggled not to let his amazement show. Logan a historian?

Wonders would never cease.

"When we get to Earth; we can get the historians to do a more intense search...but we have to get there first."

To Logan's surprise; everyone nodded.

The captain looked at Rogers. "Good analysis ensign."

Roger's face reddened a bit. "Thanks sir."

Logan turned back to Admiral Adama. " I still have questions."

"Like?" asked Adama.

"On the recording; one of them mentioned Resurrection Technology; what does that mean?"

The change in the room's atmosphere was instant; everyone stared at Logan as if he had changed into a demon.

Touchy subject huh? Thought Logan calmly while he waited for someone to answer his question.

Admiral Adama looked at Sharon.

The cylon turned. "It's a means of prolonging the lives of humanoid cylons.

If cylons dies near a Resurrection Hub; their minds are downloaded into new bodies."

Logan stared at her; then looked at Admiral Adama. "You created _that_ technology?!" the disbelief was clear in his voice.

Adama shook his head. " We created the centurions...in turn the centurions created the cylons and I think they may have created the Resurrection Hubs."

"Which has given them an edge in this war," added Roslin wearily " we were not aware of humanoid cylons until after the Holocaust.

They infiltrated the fleet and we gradually began to discover them as we fled...unfortunately lives were lost in the process." Even though she did not look at Sharon directly; the cylon felt her face going red.

There's no love lost between these two, thought Logan.

"Have you detected them all?" he asked aloud.

Sharon answered. "Yes; there are only 7 copies of us.

A number One; Two; Three; Four; Five, Six ;and Eight. I am an Eight."

Logan frowned. " You missed one digit; Seven; what happened to her or him?"

Sharon hesitated then continued. "I don't know...we were told we were the only ones."

Admiral Adama was watching Ensign Q Junior; he was very quiet but was paying a great deal of attention to what Lieutenant Agathon was saying.

Logan continued asking questions.

"Who is the leader of the cylons?"

"The cylons have a democratic way of governing."

At the same time; Q Junior and Captain Logan raised their eyebrows in surprise.

"Each major decision is discussed by the representatives of each model...majority carries the vote."

"Do you have any idea of what their current military capabilities are ?" asked Logan.

Sharon sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid not.

The last time I encountered the cylons before Hera's planet was more than 4 weeks ago when we...escaped from New Caprica."

She saw the puzzled expressions on Logan and Q Junior's face.

"We tried to settle on a habitable planet more than a year ago...then the cylons landed and signed a truce with the President Baltar," said Zarek.

Logan noted the cold bitterness and hate in the vice-president's voice and the look of dislike on everyone's face; even Sharon's.

Apparently Baltar was not on anyone's Christmas list.

"What happened ?" asked Logan; something told him he did not want to hear it but that he had to.

Roslin looked squarely at him.

"Occupation; arrests and torture...we fought back..people died and we escaped."

Logan looked at the woman before him; he did not personally like her but he had to respect her.

She had nerves of steel; there was a lot she was not saying. A lot had happened during that occupation and he bet none of it had been pleasant.

Logan caught the brief hard expression on Sharon's face when she glanced at the President.

Now _that _had to mean something.

"A lot of people were instrumental in helping our people get off the planet...we would not have had a hope in Hades if Lieutenant Sharon had not carried out a key part of the operation in freeing our people," said Admiral Adama gravely.

Sharon looked at the Admiral quickly then turned away; clearly unsettled by the high praise.

Logan barely hid his surprise. So the Admiral trusted Sharon.

That said a lot.

"A summary of our escape is in the notes we prepared for you captain," continued the Admiral.

Logan nodded. "We appreciate the share of information," he turned back to Sharon.

"Do you have any idea...why the cylons are so intent on finding Earth ?"

The cylon was quiet for a long time. "For as long as I can remember, Cavil , a Number One has repeated that Earth was the ultimate goal.

That it was our birthright," Logan noted the uneasy expressions on the faces of the colonials.

"But that was pushed to the rear when the Colonies was attacked...but one thing I am sure of is that the cylons do not know how to get there."

"But they are aware of you Captain," added Zarek "and trust me when I say they will stop at nothing to get what they want."

This was met by silence for several moments.

"We've talked a lot about the past...there are still many questions that need to be answered...but we should leave that for future meetings and concentrate on more immediate problems," said Logan carefully.

The CAG looked intently at him. "Like what?"

"Your fuel problem," said Logan simply " by the way; thanks for alerting us on the ships which were surveying the nearby star system."

"How did you know they were searching for Tylium?" asked Zarek sharply. Admiral Adama sighed and gave the vice president a cold look.

Logan smiled dryly at him. " Is that your fuel ? That's interesting."

Once they had entered the system; Xavier scans had revealed the system was rich in 'tylium.' The computer had duly informed the Logan that the colonial fleet ran on the same substance.

So he had not been surprised when the a small group of ships set off for a nearby planet.

"The Xavier's scanners detected the same substance on your ships. We assumed it was your fuel," said Q Junior who had been quiet so far.

"So what does yours run on?" asked Admiral Adama.

Q Junior hesitated a bit before answering. "Antimatter."

In the next room, Starbuck saw Tyrol become very pale.

Gaeta stared at him. "T...that's impossible and highly unstable ! Our scientists were never able to produce enough safely to be used for fuel!"

The Admiral was watching the hologram very closely. "Yet...Earth seems to have developed the capacity to do so," he said in a quiet voice.

Ensign Q Junior looked at him for a long time. "Yes sir."

Admiral Adama stored away this very important piece of news.

"Wait, wait...how do you regulate the antimatter ? Is it in some sort of core or container ?" asked Gaeta excitedly.

Logan saw the uncomfortable look on Q junior's face and decided to intervene.

"I think we've discussed enough about the Xavier for now." Gaeta took one look at the firm expression on the captain's face and fell silent.

"How are your food and medical supplies?" continued Logan.

The Admiral looked at the captain. There was no hint of arrogance in the man's tone. Something told him this man knew what it was like to be on the run; with barely anything to survive on.

"We are in need of both." He did not want to say more.

Logan nodded knowingly; he could read between the lines just fine.

Starvation was barely kept at bay; strict rations, minimal medical supplies and a lot of stubborn will was all that was keeping this fleet together.

Logan looked at his ensign beside him.

"Vitamin supplements and medical aid can be provided...I will have to discuss with your medical officers to determine how much you will need exactly."

President Roslin frowned. "You only have one ship; surely you will not be able to provide for the entire fleet?"

Logan had a slight smile on his face; he had discussed this with Q Junior and he had assured him that with the right amount of material the replicators might be able to help the refugee fleet.

"We have replicators...they can provide certain food; vitamin supplements and equipment."

In the next room, Tyrol stood straighter when he heard the word 'replicators'. He had no idea what they were but he would love to take a look at them and see what they could do.

"Replicators ? What exactly do they do?" asked Zarek; he barely hid the suspicious light in his eyes.

"It's a device that dematerializes matter and rearranges it into another form that could be used as food or building material," explained Q Junior.

Tyrol stared at the monitor in shock. If what the hologram said was true then the implications of having such technology was astonishing.

"Excuse me?" asked the confused looking vice president.

"What he means is that the device can take a rock, break it down and rearrange the atoms into food or building material," explained Logan patiently.

Zarek stared at him. "That is impossible." His tone was almost belligerent.

Logan just smiled at him, not fazed by the vice president's attitude.

"Can it be used to create weapons ?" asked Commander Adama.

The smile on Logan's face was replaced by a serious expression; Q Junior also had a similar look.

"Yes...that is why we cannot give it to you...if that was your next question," Logan took in their expressions which ranged from disappointment to disbelief.

"I would advise you to please read the flies quickly and pay attention to the Prime Directive.

The summary is that Starfleet is not allowed to interfere with the natural development of a race which has not yet achieved FTL capability...well in this case you do not fit that category."

Everyone relaxed a bit but Logan was not yet done.

"However, sharing of technologies with a less developed people is not allowed. This is in view that the technology would be used for warfare and thus could lead to a destruction of those same people."

"You also do not want it turned on you," said Roslin.

Logan grinned broadly. "Ma'am; please tell me if you would not take the same precautions if we changed places."

Roslin had nothing to say to that.

"But; you're not Starfleet," said the observant CAG.

"I am not...but I _just _love that part of the Directive because it makes so much sense," said the captain amicably but the smile did not reach his eyes.

Admiral Adama had to agree. If he had been Logan's shoes he would do exactly the same thing.

"We will help you get to Earth, we will help you find fuel and do our best to fight alongside you."

Everyone listening in the next room began to talk in excited whispers until Helo and Kara glared at them.

"...but do not attempt to take over my ship or put us under your command. For that would not be wise," said Logan solemnly as he looked at each of the colonials before him.

Amazingly, Zarek kept his mouth shut; he could see that Logan was deadly serious and more importantly he had the claws to back it up.

After several moments had passed, Roslin cleared her throat.

"Captain Logan...thank you for your offer and honesty. I know this is very early days but I would like to propose an arrangement that could benefit this alliance."

Logan gave her a wary look.

"I'm listening."

The president tried to compose herself.

"We got off on a very rough start...but we were able to overcome that eventually.

We know nothing about you and though you have given us detailed files...it's not the same thing as having a civilized discussion."

Logan was patiently waiting for her to get to the point.

"I propose an exchange of personnel...to act as ambassadors."

Logan blinked once. He had clearly not expected that.

Ensign Q Junior's lower jaw had dropped in surprise for a brief moment before he closed his mouth and looked anxiously at his captain.

All waited for the captain of the Xavier to speak.

"And who were you proposing to put on my ship?"

Each word was said calmly but everyone felt the question had to be answered very carefully.

Roslin answered in an even tone. "Ensign Billy Rogers."

Q Junior's eyes widened in disbelief as everyone turned to look at the colonial ensign.

Logan frowned; something was off about the young man. He looked even paler than before and his keen eyes could pick out the beaded sweat on his forehead.

"You want Ensign Rogers to be..." began Logan then he stopped when the young man stood up shakily.

Admiral Adama frowned at the young man. "Ensign Rogers ?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Kara narrowed her eyes as she saw the pilot stand up; she heard Anders mutter. "He doesn't look good."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Rogers tried to turn to face the Admiral; but he seemed to have problem focusing. The pain in his left arm was so much.

"S...sir, I regret...I must..." then his legs gave way and he collapsed towards the floor.

His last thoughts as the darkness claimed him was that he had really frakked up big time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

**Hi everyone! Hope the week is going well. Sorry about the wait and the cliffhanger ending! I will try and write the next part faster! Please read and enjoy and thanks so much for everyone's advice and reviews! Have a great week!**


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine.

_**USS Dunkirk; Deck 2; crew quarters...**_

Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti was awake long before her alarm went off. A slight movement of her left hand silenced it immediately.

She stared at the ceiling for several moments before she sat up and glanced at the clock.

Seven more hours until they reached the Romulan Neutral Zone.

The ensign felt the leaden weight in her stomach increase.

She closed her eyes briefly as she thought about the call she had delayed making. She had to make it now before they got closer to their destination.

Oma got out of bed and headed for the cleansing showers. She constructed the conversation she was about to have with two most important people in her life.

She prayed that they did not see through her false cheer to the fear that lay below.

In less than 12 minutes she was fully dressed in her red and black Starfleet uniform and was in-front of the mirror. She brushed her wavy short cut snow white hair, her hand touching the two slightly ridged lines on her fore-head.

Evidence of her klingon heritage; she had inherited her cafe-au-lait skin and hazel eyes from her human father.

Close family friends had stated more than once that she had inherited her mum's klingon temper and humour.

Her mother who was half klingon and half human had often laughed this off stating that her daughter was too mild mannered for a klingon.

But what very, very few people knew was that Oma had been born with a mutant ability.

Statistics showed that 85 percent of the human population had a mutant ability; while the remaining 25 percent may have a dormant mutant gene but no abilities.

However it soon came to light that human hybrids very rarely had these abilities or the mutant gene.

About less than 0.02 percent of the current population of human hybrids.

Theories pointed out that most human hybrids inherited the outstanding abilities of the non-human parent and thus this might cancel out the mutant gene.

But there had been a few notable exceptions.

Admiral Spock was one of very few; it was rumoured that his telepathic abilities were stronger than that of most vulcans.

Oma reached for a small worn out box beside her bed and removed an old 50 pence coin. Her father had found it in Old London when the family had gone there on holiday when she was 8 years old.

She had been so fascinated with it that he gave it to her and dubbed it her lucky charm.

After she turned the age of 11years she saw it as something else; a coping strategy.

Using only a tiny bit of concentration she began to elevate the coin and rotate it around each finger of her right hand.

The magnetism ability never ceased to amaze her; even before she accidentally discovered she was a one of the 0.02%.

As a child; Oma loved to read and while rummaging through her dad's library she discovered ancient well preserved books about the mutants of the 21 century.

One that had caught her eye was the memoirs of Erik Lensherr; aka Magneto.

She had been captivated by his life history ; from the death of his parents in a concentration camp; to the devastation of his family and the changing of his name from Max Eisenhardt to Erik Lensherr.

Lensherr had not spared himself when he described himself as a villain who was prepared to do everything necessary to ensure the mutant race was never massacred the way the Jews had been in the 2nd World War.

Oma's mum had found her one day reading the memoirs and seized it stating that it was too 'extreme' for her to read.

But the seed was already planted.

Oma had tried to get more articles about Erik Lensherr; from her school library and from the ship's computers. She found out about his association with the 'Xmen' ; his role in the Eugenics War and the ultimate price he paid a few months before the war ended.

Then the Dominion War started when she was 10 years old.

Her mother had refused to leave the _USS Prometheus;_ a nebula class ship that her father had been stationed on.

Even though the captain and her husband tried to convince her to leave.

Eventually much to Oma's relief; her mum and her were allowed to stay.

However; so many other families left that Oma found herself the only child on the ship and stayed in the family quarters most times.

Then a year later; she hit puberty and woke up one morning to see every metal object in their quarters floating around her bed.

Her parents were standing at the foot of the bed trying to reach her but the metallic objects separated them from her.

The fear in their faces made her lose control and the objects fell to the floor.

Captain Lorna Steinberg had been alerted and Oma was taken to the medical bay. Dr Gladys Kalman ran the necessary tests which showed that she had the mutant gene _and _an ability.

Oma had been so happy but before long she realized that her parents were not pleased.

They were very scared.

She had asked them why and they tried to reassure her before leaving to discuss privately with the Captain and the Doctor.

Oma had been worried that she would be sent away; but that was laid to rest when her parents came back to her and hugged her tightly.

But they shocked her when they warned her not to tell anyone about her mutant ability.

They made her swear an oath.

She agreed but when she asked them why; they refused to tell her the reason. This frustrated her but she did not break her promise.

Until a year later, when Romulans boarded their ship for alliance negotiations.

It had been one of the few days that Oma had left the family quarters.

She had gone to the holodeck to wind surf and was on the way back to the quarters when she ran into two romulans, one female and a male.

They were accompanied by a Starfleet security officer who Oma recognised and greeted.

Then the two romulans moved to block her path.

Lieutenant Brian Demarce turned to the two Romulans with a frown on his face.

"Commanders, we have not yet reached our destination..."

The female romulan raised a hand cutting him off. "This will only take a few moments," she bent forward.

"Hello child," she smiled but Oma found herself taking a step back due to the predatory nature of the Romulan's expression.

"Eh...hello."

"You're very pretty and unique...more human than klingon; is that not so ?"

Oma looked at Brian for help; the officer was looking a bit worried.

"If you wish to speak to her family; I'm sure that can be arranged," said the security officer as he went between Oma and the romulans.

The male romulan glared at him as if he was about to attack him. Then the female said something sharply in their language and the male was still.

The female romulan tried to go round the Starfleet officer to speak to Oma.

"I just want to know if you have an ability; that's all," her voice was soft but the light in her eyes was cold and calculating.

Oma found herself shaking her head; unable to say a word. Her heart was hammering so fast.

Brian glanced at her over his shoulder and his frown deepened when he saw the fear on her face.

"Oma; go to your quarters now."

She moved to go; then stopped. She was now afraid to leave Brian alone with the Romulans.

The lieutenant read the indecision on her face and spoke quickly.

"We'll be fine; go to your mum now!"

The male romulan who was clearly growing impatient made a move towards her and Oma lost her nerve and fled.

She ran until she reached her family quarters and locked the door.

Oma had been sorely tempted to hide under her bed; however she squashed her fear and called her mother who was working in the astrophysics's lab.

Once Nadia Kadretti heard what happened; she left the lab immediately and headed for their quarters.

A few minutes later, Oma opened the door to see her mum gripping a phaser pistol in her hand and standing behind her was Oma's father.

Lieutenant Commander Trey Kadretti.

The combined look of anxiety and rage on their faces had been frightening.

For one terrifying moment, Oma was certain that her mum had killed the romulans. Nadia asked her to repeat what had happened in the hallway.

Oma became calmer as she told her silent parents what had occurred.

"Is Brian okay? I didn't like the way the romulans were looking at him."

The look of anger on her father's face was replaced for a brief moment with one of approval at her daughter's concern for the security officer.

"I'm sure he's alright, he's the one who called me a few minutes ago" then the grim look returned " I doubt the Romulans would be stupid enough to start an incident in the middle of the war that we're in."

His wife gave him a disbelieving look. "Trey; one of them is Tal Shiar."

Trey gave his wife a shocked look.

"I checked the computer files before I ran down to our quarters."

"You have not...shot them have you?" asked Oma hesitantly.

Nadia smiled at her daughter in a fierce but reassuring way. "No...but I will not hesitate to if they come near you."

Oma's eyes narrowed in confusion. "B...but why ? I thought we were allies and what is Tal Shiar?"

Her parents shared a quiet look.

"It's time we told her," said Nadia calmly. Her husband stared at her for several moments then nodded silently.

He took a deep breath. "Okay...we will but first I need to check up on Brian and the...Romulans."

Oma had waited anxiously with her mother in the living room as Trey used the com device to discover the whereabouts of the security officer and the Romulans.

A few minutes later, he returned with reassuring news.

"Brian is okay ; the Romulans are in their quarters and he assured me apart from their _curiosity _in you; nothing happened after you left for our quarters."

Oma released a sigh of relief.

Trey sat down opposite his wife and daughter; Oma's anxiety returned when she saw the solemn expression on her father's face. He was quiet for a while as he gathered his thoughts.

"15 years ago I was an Ensign on the USS Petersberg; a science vessel. My specialty was Astro-navigation and it was my first posting after 4 years at Starfleet Academy.

8 months into the tour; we received a distress signal within Federation Space ...but close to the Romulan Neutral Zone.

As a science vessel which was also close to the affected area; our captain decided to investigate." Trey paused; his face bleak.

"It was a trap; 3 Romulan warbirds declocked, then disabled and boarded our vessel before we could send out a distress signal."

Oma stared at him in shock and turned to her mother; Nadia's expression was set in stone.

"We fought hand to hand on board the Petersberg when we realized the Romulans were quite keen on taking prisoners...in the end it was all in vain.

A good number of us were taken alive...I was one of them.

I woke up later in a cell with several others; I noticed straight away that all of them apart from me had strange restraining devices on their hands and legs.

It didn't take long for me to realized why I was the only one free...it was because I did not have a mutant ability."

Trey was one of the 25% of humans who had dormant mutant genes. He had traced his family tree and realized that for the past 5 generations; no one in his family had shown a mutant ability.

Thus the understandable shock he showed when Oma demonstrated her ability.

Nadia on the other hand was half klingon; her mother surprisingly had the dormant gene but did not have an ability.

Trey continued; his face blank and his voice even.

"It wasn't long before fellow prisoners began to...disappear. At first; I had no idea what was going on...but we all suspected that we were being experimented on because of our mutant genes."

Oma stared at him.

"Oma; I know you have already been reading Earth's history...especially about mutants." She nodded silently.

"Good...keep it up. By now you must know that centuries ago, mutants on Earth were feared because their powers were misunderstood.

Humans almost fought a war over 'Registration of Mutants' then the Eugenics War started and mutants were eventually accepted.

After the third whole war and the devastation that was caused, most of the survivors had mutated on the molecular level.

Well...once man took that first Warp flight, the aliens we met realized that most humans were mutants and they have been equally fascinated and frightened by the mutant abilities."

Trey rubbed his face wearily; he looked much older than his 40 years.

"The Romulans were clearly _concerned_ about mutants...in my cell we went down from 12 to just three of us.

When they came for the last of us...we were half out of our minds.

We rushed them but they knocked us out and I woke up strapped to a surgical table next to two of my crew mates..." Trey stopped at the look on horror on his daughter's face.

"Maybe I should just skip that..."

"No Trey," said Nadia in a slightly shaky voice , Oma could see that she was trying to control her rage "we have to tell her...so that she understands. At times fear is a healthy motivator."

Trey looked at her for a long time. "Alright." His voice was very soft and final.

"They took...samples; blood; bone marrow; nerve tissue and they did not care about how much pain we were in," Trey's eyes became glazed over as he recalled the screams.

"I don't know how long we were there...but I heard when the one of the scientist inform the Tal Shiar who was watching that Ensign Martin Hoshito was dead.

The female Tal Shiar showed no emotion as she ordered his body taken away for vivisection. I could not withstand the pain and I passed out again."

Trey took a deep breath. "The next time I woke up...I was been dragged by an elderly romulan. I recognised him as one of the scientists who had been in the room so I tried to kill him with my bare hands.

Luckily I was too weak to succeed...for he was trying to help me escape."

Oma saw a suspicious brightness in her father's eyes.

"Hvaid Barel; he was one of their physicians...the experiments got to him and he was ready to risk all to help me escape.

I asked about the others... but I was the only one left."

Trey covered his eyes for a long time trying to stem the tears. Oma let hers flow freely and Nadia silently held her close as she also cried.

"I was eventually able to get off the Romulan Ship with Hvaid's help...but he didn't make it. He sacrificed himself to buy me time."

Oma covered her mouth in horror.

Trey cleared his throat and continued. "Before I left the ship; Hvaid told me some very important facts.

The Tal Shiar were running the operation and were determined to have a human-romulan hybrid with mutant abilities...but all their attempts at cloning had failed. So they decided to abduct mutants to _better_ understand their DNA; but for some reason they were no closer to reaching their goal."

Trey looked into his daughter's eyes as he covered her smaller hands with his.

"That is why you must keep your ability a secret...even from your friends. Now; do you understand ?"

Oma nodded slowly; but she had a question. "Dad, what happened after you left the Romulan ship?"

Trey smiled for the first time since she had opened the door; he looked at Nadia who also smiled through her tears.

"I met your mother and her parents, but that _encounter _is a story for another day."

Then the smile left his face. "I eventually got to Starfleet and told them all that had occurred...but due to the fact that I was the only survivor and did not possess any other proof apart from my memories...it was not enough for the Federation to confront the Romulans."

Oma stared at her dad in shock and looked at her mum who now had a very grim expression on her face.

"At first; I was very angry and seriously thought of leaving Starfleet...but the senior officers I met reasoned with me.

At this time the Federation had a very strained relationship with the Klingons and analysts had warned that the Federation could not hope to win in a war against the Romulan Empire.," he paused.

"Then there is the Tal Shiar...this is the elite intelligence agency of the Romulan Empire. Very little is known of them; what we do know is that they report to the highest level of the Romulan government and most likely carry out many operations without the knowing of the Senate.

It would be very easy for the Romulan Government to deny all knowledge of what happened...but an accusation would most likely lead to all out war."

Oma was left numb with this knowledge.

Trey had left her and Nadia because he had to attend a meeting with the Captain.

However, the next day Oma and her mother were put on a ship which was heading back to Earth. Nadia had quietly complied.

Oma had been told that the Prometheus was heading for the front line but she felt that the real reason she and her mum was leaving was because of the female Tal Shiar who had stayed on board the Federation starship.

Oma's mind returned to the present as the metallic coin continued to rotate around each finger.

Her control had improved over the years and she had kept her secret.

She returned the coin to the book and looked at the chronometer. It was almost time for breakfast; she needed to place her call now before she lost her nerve.

A few minutes later she was staring at her mother's face.

"_Hello mother,"_ she said in klingon.

"_Your accent is terrible...how have you been my child?"_ said Nadia with a mischievous smile.

Oma smiled back. _"Fine mum; where's dad ?"_

"_Did someone just call my name_?" said Trey in standard as he looked over his wife's right shoulder.

Nadia hissed at him. "_Now you see why her klingon is terrible ! You insist on speaking to her in the wrong language_!"

Commander Kadretti grinned at her; seeing through her false anger. "_I think she sounds perfect!_" he turned to the screen

"_So what's happening on your end?"_

"We're alright dad...just doing our usual tests; by the way Commander Atavi and I were able to perfect snapping the tractor beam using only sublight speed," replied Oma in standard.

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "_Sounds dangerous."_

Oma rolled her eyes; if only her parents knew that the Dunkirk was heading straight for Romulan Neutral Zone.

"No; it's not dangerous. It will be great for the Starfleet-Klingon Academy War Games!"

Trey laughed; he had been proud when Oma selected astro-navigation as her specialty. "_That's my girl! You are taking part; aren't you ?"_

Oma hesitated briefly before answering. "I'm not sure, I guess it depends on when we get back."

Nadia and Trey looked at each other and frowned.

"_Oma; what's your current location?"_ asked Nadia in a deceptive soft voice.

Ensign Kadretti felt like kicking herself; she had to choose her words with care.

"Mum; you know I cannot say anything about that."

Nadia opened her mouth to speak.

"_And your mother and I understand why,"_said Trey calmly as his wife glared at him for cutting her off.

"_We...just hope you are keeping yourself safe."_

Oma could not help but raise an eyebrow. "Mum and dad; I'm fine and I have survived the first 6 months of my first tour after-all."

Nadia's expression darkened. "_You're also a lot younger than when your father went on his first tour."_

Which was true; for Oma was only 19 years old and her father had been 25 years old on his first tour.

The reason was due to the Dominion War.

Overall death toll during the 2 year war was officially 1.8 billion. This included the massacre on Cardassia; Federation and Klingon casualties.

However; the _unofficial count_ was quoted to be much, much higher.

While the Federation and the Klingons had not shied away from stating their collective losses, the Romulans had refused to quote any figures.

Till today; no one knew how many Romulans had lost their lives during the conflict. Analysts stated it was the probably in an attempt to appear strong and invincible.

As for the Federation; the death toll had been undeniably high and Starfleet had lost a lot of personnel and ships.

And it was still fighting to fill in those gaps.

The first thing that had been done was to drastically change Starfleet Training.

Before the war; personnel joining Starfleet spent 4 years as a cadet followed by 4 years touring between ships and bases before receiving permanent posts.

Now it was 18 months as a cadet followed by tough exams before receiving a posting on a ship or base for 18 months. At the end of the tour; the cadet had a series of on-site assessments.

Passing these 'tests' meant another 18 months back at the academy before receiving a permanent post. Candidates with the highest scores were more likely to get the postings of their choice.

There had been those who had been for and against this new mode of training but all agreed that Starfleet needed more personnel now more than ever. There were rumours that the Klingons were taking in _much _younger cadets in an attempt to fill their depleted ranks.

Of the Romulans...no one even bothered to guess what they were up to.

"Mum, dad...I'm okay. The ship is fine and my studies are going okay. How are things on your end?" asked Oma calmly.

Nadia looked at her daughter intently for a while then seemed to relax.

"_Fine; your father has finally agreed to go on leave,"_ she glared at him_ "which is a good thing because I was seriously thinking of kidnapping him so that he could take a break." _Oma's dad had an innocent smile on his face and wisely said nothing.

"Glad to hear that," said Oma with a broad smile which hid the relief she felt when her mum changed the topic.

Thank God she didn't have mind reading skills.

"So what have you two got planned?"

For the next several minutes Oma chatted away happily with her parents as they discussed their holiday plans.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Oma stepped out of her quarters; saying goodbye to her parents had been a bit harder than she realized. It was only when she stated she had to go for breakfast that her mother reluctantly terminated the communication.

The ensign had only taken a few steps forward when she heard her name being called behind her. She turned to look then heard a 'zap' sound before a young man wearing a yellow and black Starfleet uniform with an ensign rank materialized before her.

She looked up and smiled at him. "Good morning Flash."

"Top of the morning to you too," said Ensign Cassius O'Reilly.

The 6 foot lanky 20 year old redhead was her classmate and was in the top five in his specialty of engineering.

Another factor that was going to have ships clamouring for his services was his mutant ability.

Cassius could move faster than the human eye could follow; hence his nickname 'flash'. He was highly popular in engineering because of how quickly he got his jobs done as long as he remembered to use the fragile tools with care.

Oma had been so glad when she had seen a familiar face on the _Dunkirk_; it made the tour much more enjoyable.

"Shall we?" said Cassius in his faint irish brogue; he presented his right flexed arm.

"Of course," said Oma with a grin as she accepted the offered arm and the two began to walk down the corridor.

"You know people seeing us like this are going to talk and assume a lot."

"Oh, I so hope they do...now if only it was true," said Cassius with a mischievous grin on his face. Oma could not help but laugh at his hopeful expression.

They had been friends from the first week they met in the Academy; he had even asked her out once but she had declined because she saw him as the brother she never had.

Cassius had taken it well and they had remained very good friends.

Before too long they reached Ten Forward; already the mess hall was packed with crew who were due to start their morning shifts.

The two quickly ordered their meals and found two spare seats with Commander Shila Atavi and Lieutenant Commander Telev Shran.

"May we join you Shila?" asked Oma.

The orion nodded with a cheerful smile. "Definitely."

Anyone coming into the mess hall would notice; that personnel of different rank sat together. That was because rank was left at the door and everyone could address each other by their names.

Personnel from other militaries found it odd; but for Starfleet personnel it helped to maintain crew morale.

Telev looked at Oma and Cassius. "So, you're looking forward to meeting the Romulans ?"

Cassius grinned at the male andorian lieutenant. "Oh yes! This will be the first time I get to meet a real life romulan; I can hardly wait!"

Telev had a dry smile on his face. "I envy your enthusiasm; just don't let them know about your ability _and _the fact that you are a smart engineer. They might try to steal you away."

Oma could not help but look startled at the idea. Atavi noticed her expression.

"Don't mind Telev; he's just teasing."

Telev raised an eyebrow. "Not really; have any of you thought as to _why_ the Romulans asked for Federation assistance?"

Oma looked at the tactical officer. "That is a good question; does anyone know why?"

Telev shook his head. "They didn't exactly specify...but I have a theory.

They may have discovered something so...frightening that they decided to get us involved. I just hope they have not declared war on someone powerful and now expect us to back them up."

Shila sighed. "Telev; I swear if I took your theories seriously I would have died of anxiety by now."

"But Telev has a point," said Oma.

The andorian raised his glass of fruit juice to her. "Thank the stars that someone here recognises my brilliance."

Oma continued. "The Romulan Empire is one of the most xenophobic and paranoid power in our sector of space. For them to ask for help is something that should not be taken lightly."

"Which is why we have one Intrepid class and one Nebula class accompanying us to the Romulan Neutral Zone," added Telev calmly.

"But will it be enough?" asked Oma.

Cassius looked at her; a puzzled light in his blue eyes. "Oma; we're not at war."

Oma realized everyone was looking at her with concern in her eyes.

"I...I'm sorry; I'm just a bit nervous about this trip."

Atavi placed her hand on Oma's forearm. "Fret not; we will be fine."

Telev said nothing but he narrowed his eyes as he looked at the young female Ensign.

"By the by; Chief McIntyre has installed a new klingon game into the holodeck. He promises it will be exciting," said Cassius; as he deftly changed the topic.

Oma gave him a smile of gratitude as she asked him more about the new game but she could still feel the tactical officer's thoughtful gaze on her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**Romulan Warbird, Decius, Captain's ready room...**_

Major Nveid Solius sighed in frustration as he read the report in his data padd.

It meant nothing and everything.

"So major...what do you think?" asked a female voice in a careful calm tone.

Nveid turned to look at Captain T'Rehu Maelrok.

The female captain was very careful in hiding the annoyance she had at having two Tal Shiar watching her every move. She would have been surprised to know that Nveid sympathised with her but he had his orders and _she _had to follow them.

"Unfortunately...this data tells me very little," out of the corner of his eyes he saw the science officer Centurion Saren Rehu flinch " but it is still of use," added Nveid hurryingly. He did not want someone punished unnecessarily.

The second Tal Shiar, Colonel S'Tokkr Xereth frowned. "Useful? But you just said it does not make any sense," he turned to glare at the hapless science officer.

"You misunderstood me sir," continued Nveid as he smoothly planted himself between S'Tokkr and the scared Saren.

"This data shows that we are clearly dealing with the unknown here...so we must tread carefully."

"I still think that having the Federation assist us in the matter is...unnecessary," said S'Tokkr in a cold tone.

Nveid smiled wearily at his superior. "Perhaps; but it's been _suggested _by our superiors and we need to follow their orders, sir."

S'Tokkr compressed his lips in a straight line but nodded silently.

T'Rehu watched them with narrowed eyes.

Major Nveid clearly ranked below S'Tokkr but for some reason that she could not fathom, it appeared that the Colonel was apprehensive of the young major.

She needed to find out who Nveid was related to; she had received the orders barely 15 minutes before the Tal Shiar Warbird declocked and the two males boarded her ship.

T'Rehu had not had any time to do any research; for now she just had to grit her teeth and bear their presence.

"We must still approach the Federation with extreme caution," said S'Tokkr " we should not divulge all that has occurred here."

T'Rehu could not help but frown at his cryptic words.

"And to what would you be referring to Major ?" she asked.

Her tone was polite but in no way scared.

The Tal Shiar raised an eyebrow and smiled dryly. "Your obvious failure in learning more about this...anomaly ; not to mention the ships you almost lost in trying to assess the threat."

T'Rehu firmly quashed the urge she had in shooting the smug idiot.

Typical Tal Shiar attitude, succeed in a dangerous situation and they will find a way to take the credit for it, but fail and they would ensure all blame lay at someone else's feet.

"I'm certain the captain did all she could; there was no way she could have been aware of what the outcome would have been. At least we did not lose any crew," said Nveid absently as he continued to scroll through the data padd.

The captain stared at him in barely disguised shock. Was he actually taking her side or just setting her up for a mighty fall ?

Nveid eventually looked up at the three romulans watching him. "Besides the information may be useful to Starfleet..."

"I strongly disagree Major Nveid," said S'Tokkr in a harsh voice "if the Federation is so smart; then let them take the chances to figure this out. We don't have to help them."

The two Tal Shiar stared at each other for several moments; then the Major was the first to drop his eyes, finally acknowledging the other male's superiority.

"Very well; as you wish sir."

T'Rehu found herself suddenly remembering to breathe again; she looked around to see that the still silent Saren was as pale as death.

She knew what he was thinking. For one second she had been sure the two agents were about to go for each other's throats.

The senior Tal Shiar turned to her. " Now, captain what security preparations have you made for our Federation guests ?"

T'Rehu nodded slowly and began to tell him what had already been organized.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Nveid watching them closely.

The captain suddenly found herself wishing this whole operation was over so that she could get these two males off her ship.

In her opinion; the Jem'Hadar would have been much better company.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

**Hi everyone; this chapter is just trying to explain a bit of the star trek side of things; sorry its not longer but i thought one chapter dedicated to the star trek section would be okay for now. Next is gonna be back with a certain battlestar...or basestar...or both!**

**Sorry about the delay! Will try and update soon; please read and enjoy!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine.

_**Battlestar Galactica; meeting room...**_

For several moments; Ensign Billy Rogers floated in darkness.

He had to be dreaming. He did not just pass out in-front of his superior officers, the president and the vice president and the two representatives of the Thirteenth Tribe.

Please let this be a nightmare.

Then he started hearing voices, he opened his eyes and suddenly wished he could shut them again.

Several people were staring down at him with very concerned expressions.

The young ensign prayed for the hard metallic floor to swallow him up.

Surprisingly; Captain Logan was kneeling on one knee beside Ensign Q Junior.

The Admiral, the CAG , President Roslin and vice president Zarek were also looking down at him.

"Ensign Rogers, are you okay ?" asked Admiral Adama.

Rogers swallowed nervously, feeling his face turn red with embarrassment.

"I...I'm okay," he tried to sit up and almost passed out again when he felt sharp hot pain in his left forearm.

"You don't look well," said Logan calmly; he looked at the Admiral.

"Ensign Q Junior could do a quick diagnostic...with your permission."

Rogers looked at the hologram who had a puzzled look on his face; then Q turned to the Admiral.

Adama simply stared at the captain of the Xavier.

"Sir," called a familiar voice. It was Gaeta; he had a small hand device next to his right ear.

"Doctor Cottle is in the midst of surgery...it will take a while."

Rogers concentrated on the grave look on the Admiral's face and he suddenly knew the senior officer was going to decline Logan's offer.

Somehow, Rogers knew that would be a bad idea.

"I accept to be treated by Ensign Q Junior...he took care of us coming back from Hera's planet sir," said Rogers as quickly as possible.

The Admiral stared at him, his face still very blank.

For one second; Rogers was sure the admiral was going to refuse.

"Very well."

Logan looked at the hologram and nodded.

Q removed small objects from his bag; the Admiral's gaze sharpened as the objects were placed close to Ensign Rogers.

As if hearing their unspoken thoughts he began to describe each object.

"This is a tricorder, a non-invasive diagnostic device," he looked at Rogers who nodded silently .

Q Junior continued speaking. "Ensign Rogers; what symptoms have you been experiencing ?"

"Pain in my left forearm."

Q's eyes moved to the cast covered upper limb.

"When did you break it?"

Everyone in the room knew when it had been broken _and_ how it occurred but Rogers answered the question.

"Roughly a day and a half ago."

Q Junior's face had a thoughtful frown. "Any numbness in the fingers? Pins and needles? Difficulty in moving your fingers?"

Rogers thought for a moment. "Yeah to all three questions. It's been occurring for the past couple of hours."

Q's eyes narrowed; he seemed oblivious to the way everyone was staring at him.

"I need to scan your left arm and forearm."

"Go ahead," said Rogers. On the outside he appeared calm but deep down he was a bit apprehensive but somehow he knew that the hologram would not harm him.

There was complete silence as Q passed the device over Roger's left upper arm and forearm. It took only a few seconds before the hologram spoke.

"You're got acute compartment syndrome of the left forearm," the serious expression on the hologram's face had Rogers going very pale.

What in the name of Hades that? Thought the ensign.

"What is it and what's the treatment?" asked Admiral Adama in his gravelly voice.

Q Junior looked at him. "Admiral, this condition occurs usually after a fracture or deep penetrating injury. Due to the ruptured blood vessels and muscle fibres; there is a build up of fluid and pressure in the compartments in the affected limb.

Treatment is immediate release of the pressure, in the old days it meant fasciotomy...which is surgery."

Rogers felt cold sweat form on his brow.

"But nowadays; all we need to do is use a combination of a dermal and vascular regenerator to release the compartments; heal the blood vessels and increase blood supply to the damaged muscle fibres.

It will be a non-invasive procedure."

"Maybe we should wait for Dr Cottle," said the CAG. He was not bothering to hide his suspicion as he looked at the hologram.

"We do that and Ensign Rogers will lose the use of that hand," said Logan with a dark look on his face. Everyone turned to him.

"I have seen this before...and delaying treatment is not an option," continued the captain of the Xavier. He turned to Rogers.

"Besides...it's your decision ensign."

Rogers looked at him for a long time; the loss of his left hand would affect his ability as a pilot.

"I trust Ensign Q's treatment."

Q looked at him; he could see some grudging respect in his eyes.

"Fine...first you will need some analgesia...it will only numb the pain and not knock you out."

Rogers nodded; ignoring the dark looks on the CAG and the vice president's face. The president and Admiral Adama had slightly anxious expressions.

Q junior placed a small cylinder like device at the left side of his neck and everyone heard the soft hiss as the painkiller was administered.

Instantly Rogers felt the dull pain in his left forearm reduce to nothing.

"How do you feel?" asked President Roslin when she saw the surprised look on his face.

"I don't feel the pain anymore," said the ensign in a stunned voice.

"We're not done yet," warned Q " I need to take the cast off so that I can externally release some of the pressure before using the regenerator.

I will use my fingers to get into the cast and break it apart."

He waited for Roger's nod before continuing.

Under the watchful gaze of everyone, Q placed both hands on the cast. He bent the fingers until the tips were directly in line with each other and he began to phase into the cast.

Rogers ignored someone's shocked gasp as he stared open mouthed at Q's hands.

Q's hands moved in opposite directions and the cast broke with an audible 'cracking' sound, then he removed the ruined cast.

Roger's expression turned to one of alarm when he saw the swollen and badly bruised left forearm.

"Rogers, you okay ?" asked the CAG with narrowed eyes.

"Fine sir," said the ensign without looking away from his left forearm "I'm still not feeling any pain."

"I'm about to use the dermo-vascular regenerator," said Q as he passed a slightly bigger device over Roger's left forearm.

Exactly a minute passed and Admiral Adama found himself blinking. It looked like the swelling is going down.

"What exactly is happening ?" asked Roslin in a hushed voice.

Q junior answered without looking at her. " The fluid is been re-distributed into the rest of the body while the damaged blood vessels and torn muscle fibres are healing at several times their natural speed.

This device is also used for uncomplicated fractures, which is what caused the compartment syndrome in the first place.

However; it will be at least one to two weeks before Ensign Rogers can arm wrestle anyone. He will need another review in less than 24hours to check if a second treatment is needed."

Everyone remained silent as the hologram continued the treatment for a few more minutes. He stopped when the left forearm appeared to be the same colour and size as the right one.

"Can you move your fingers now?"

Rogers tentatively tried to do so and could not help but grin in amazement when he succeeded in making a fist and flexing his left elbow.

"Easy son," said Admiral Adama with an anxious voice.

"I'm okay sir...it feels like I never broke it!" said Rogers.

Logan looked at Q Junior. "Well done ensign."

To everyone's surprise; the hologram seemed to go a bit red at the praise.

Rogers tried to stand up and Q Junior and the CAG who were nearest helped him up. The colonial ensign turned to the hologram.

"Ensign Q Junior, thanks for your help," he stuck out his right hand.

Q hesitated briefly then shook hands with the young man.

"You're welcome."

"_Hello; please pardon the interruption."_

All the colonials turned to stare at Logan; the oddly familiar feminine voice seemed to be coming from him.

The captain of the Xavier was staring at the 'X' emblem on his chest.

He tapped it once. "Dr Grey, you okay?"

"_We're fine...we just wanted to check in on you..._

Logan resisted the strong urge to roll his eyes. "We're fine, Q was just helping out Ensign Rogers."

"_So we heard,"_ Dr Grey replied in a wry tone "_however; since Ensign Rogers will need a second review in 24hrs; that can be arranged and done above the Xavier."_

Stunned silence met her words.

Admiral Adama noted the raised eyebrows on Captain's Logan's face; he had not expected that.

"You sure Jean?" asked Logan in a calm low voice.

Aboard the Xavier, Laura looked at Jean and shook her head solemnly. The telepath smiled as she answered.

"_Absolutely Captain, Starfleet Medical Regulations state that current patients who need early reviews are best observed on board a Starfleet facility where the Medical Officer in charge of the case is present._

_Since Ensign Q Junior, who is also a medical personnel..."_

Everyone stared at the hologram.

"_...has started Ensign Roger's treatment; he will be in charge of his review...unless Admiral Adama and President Roslin wish to rescind his assignment and replace him with another colonial officer._

_Even if this is done...the offer to continue his treatment on Xavier or on the Galactica is still open."_

Q junior could actually hear Logan grinding his teeth in frustration as he thought of a suitable calm answer.

Admiral Adama and Roslin stared a thoughtful look; Ensign Q Junior was back to looking anxious while Zarek was staring at Logan suspiciously.

Lieutenant Sharon Agathon looked very hopeful.

Back on the Xavier, Laura slid an epadd to the telepath.

On it was written; "the captain is gonna be pissed!"

Jean just smiled mysteriously at her as she waited for the answer.

"Jean," started Logan slowly "Ensign Rogers was just recently injured; he may need to recover first..." then he caught sight of the deeply disappointed look on the ensign's face.

Then Logan found himself saying the next sentence without thinking it through.

"Unless he is ready to assume the post of ambassador...provided his superior agrees."

The Admiral could not hide his surprise. Ensign Rogers turned to look at him with a mixture of anxiety and hope in his eyes.

Adama thought that what Logan was proposing was a good idea but he had to take into consideration that Rogers had just collapsed a few minutes ago and that he, as his superior officer had been blind to his junior officer's condition.

What kind of man was he to send him into uncharted waters ?

The Admiral opened his mouth to rescind the assignment; but Dr Grey spoke first.

"_If there is any concern about Ensign Rogers performing his duties while being treated on board the Xavier; then a second colonial officer may be ideal...Lieutenant Sharon Agathon would be an excellent choice."_

Logan's eyes narrowed as he noticed the shock and hope on the cylon's face and the barely hidden surprise on the Admiral's face and then he knew.

Jean was using the CMS again.

"Dr Grey...is that really okay with you?"

He actually wanted to ask if she was okay and warn her to stay away from the device but he knew this was the wrong place to have _that_ conversation.

"_Absolutely,"_ answered Jean in a firm strong voice.

Logan was certain she had an idea of what he was thinking of at the moment.

"Em...Dr Grey, its President Roslin...you wish to have Lieutenant Agathon on your ship?"

"_Yes, is that a problem?"_

"No, it's not. I accept," said Sharon immediately; she did not bother to hide the hard light in her eyes as she looked at the president.

"That is not your decision to make Lieutenant," snapped Zarek. Then he looked towards the ceiling as he ignored the steely look she sent his way.

"Dr Grey, while Ensign Rogers is ideal for this diplomatic mission...we have other better qualified personnel who would be better for this mission than Lieutenant Agathon for this mission. I..."

"I have no problems with Ensign Rogers and Lieutenant Sharon Agathon being on my ship," cut in Logan in a calm, firm tone.

"So far; they are the only two colonials that I have met who have not treated my crew and ship as if they were the enemy."

Q Junior stared at him in surprise.

Logan gave him a silent look; then turned back to the fuming vice-president.

For Jean to suggest the two colonials come back to the Xavier...meant that she knew something important that concerned these two.

"So; what is your decision?" asked Logan calmly as he turned to the Admiral.

Adama stared at him for a long moment.

"If the two officers are willing..."

"Yes we are sir," chorused Rogers and Sharon at the same time; they stared at each other in embarrassment before looking away.

Logan could not help but smile dryly and was relieved to see a similar expression on the Admiral's face.

"Then; they are to be our ambassadors to the Xavier...with your permission."

Zarek opened his mouth to protest but the dark looks he was getting from the president and the CAG kept him silent.

"Then we are in agreement," said Logan calmly.

Before anyone could say anything else; the door opened.

"So what's the damn emergency?" growled Dr Cottle still in his surgical scrubs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Starbuck found herself releasing a sigh of relief when Q Junior and Lee helped Ensign Rogers up from the floor.

When the young pilot had collapsed; the marines in the other room had been unsure what to do.

Go in or let the senior brass handle it ?

Helo had helped them make the decision by immediately calling the medical bay for Dr Cottle.

Unfortunately; he was in theatre with two medical staff assisting him.

Then Captain Logan asked if the hologram would assess Rogers.

"What the frak did he just say?" asked one of the stunned marines.

To everyone's astonishment; the Admiral agreed.

At first the colonials in the next room could not see what was being done until some smart individual remembered to switch to the hidden camera that was close to where Rogers had fallen.

It was done in time for them to see the impossible happen.

Kara had seen it before; when Jean healed the injury in Cally's leg but she was still amazed. She dimly heard some of the marines swear softly and one actually began to pray aloud.

Then Rogers was helped up and everyone got the living daylights scared out of them when they all heard Dr Grey's voice from nowhere.

In all the excitement; they had forgotten that the remaining crew of the Xavier were monitoring the meeting.

Kara had felt her lower jaw drop when Sharon was also picked for as an ambassador at Dr Grey and Captain Logan's insistence.

Anders shared a silent look with his wife; their crazy plan may work after all.

Kara's mind returned to the present when she heard Dr Cottle's voice; she looked up in time to see him practically barge into the meeting room.

"What the frak! I thought he was still operating," said Tyrol.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan looked at the newcomer as Admiral Adama introduced him.

Dr Sherman Cottle; Chief Medical Officer.

And a heavy smoker from what Logan's sensitive nose could detect and apparently he had just left theatre.

According to the doctor; the operation was still ongoing however he had gotten past the tricky part and his capable assistant was closing up as they spoke.

"So who got injured again?" asked Cottle abruptly once the admiral stopped speaking.

"Eh...that would be me sir...and I just collapsed because of eh...compartment syndrome of my left forearm," said Rogers hesitantly.

Cottle's eyes narrowed when he noticed the broken cast on the table.

"What the frak happened to your cast?" he demanded in a voice fit for a drill sergeant.

Beside Rogers; Q Junior raised his right hand a bit hesitantly. "Eh...I took it off to reduce the pressure and to administer treatment sir."

Cottle stared at the two ensigns for a long moment.

"What were the symptoms?" he asked ignoring the large group of people watching him.

Q Junior was speechless for a few moments then squared his shoulders, straightened his spine and answered crisply.

Logan relaxed as the Q Junior confidently rattled off the definition of acute compartment syndrome; the symptoms ,signs complications and the subsequent treatments. He did take time to stress on the _ancient _method of treatment and the current method of treatment according to Starfleet Medical Sciences.

Cottle glared at him for good measure when the ensign was done talking but though Q Junior's face turned red, he did not drop his gaze.

The old doctor nodded. "You'll do."

He turned away from Q Junior's puzzled expression to face a slightly anxious Rogers. "He obviously did okay but I would like to take a look at your left ulna and radius. It would be great to do an xray now and compare the film with _when _it was actually broken."

Then he turned his eagle gaze on Captain Logan.

" You're the one with all the metal, captain ?"

Admiral Adama was obviously alarmed by the doctor's abrupt question while President Roslin looked like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Yeah; that's me," said Logan in an easy tone. For some reason he could tell this man was harmless and usually spoke his mind; not caring who or _what _he was speaking to.

"Interesting," Cottle had a curious look in his eyes " wonder how much you weigh...anyway enough of that.

Rogers, get your ass to the infirmary and by the way is it possible for Ensign Q Junior to work with me in the wards ? We could use his help."

Everyone stared at him.

"What?! I thought we were working together !" snapped Cottle when he saw the mulish expression on Zarek's face.

"Dr Cottle ; this may not be the time..." started Zarek.

Maybe it is," countered Roslin; she ignored her vice president and turned to the Admiral.

"I think in view of all the excitement; we need a break...with your permission."

Adama looked at her for a few moments. "I agree...maybe a tour of the medical bay would be in order. It will give Ensign Q an opportunity to ask Dr Cottle some questions."

The colonial doctor had a curious look on his face as he turned his attention back to the ensign.

"What questions?"

"The amount of nutritional supplements needed for the whole fleet, sir," answered Q Junior.

Cottle stared at him. "Certainly more than your tiny ship could provide."

This time the ensign grinned confidently. "You would be surprised at what the Xavier is capable of sir."

Most of the colonials in the room looked at each other at Q's words.

"Yeah; whatever," Dr Cottle rubbed his hands in glee " well; since this tour is starting in the medical bay, Ensign Q Junior can tell me on the way his medical training and past medical experience."

Q Junior's confident smile slipped as he looked at his captain.

Logan smiled dryly. "Ensign Q will be glad to help."

Q swallowed nervously and followed the grinning doctor out of the room; he had no idea that Dr Cottle was hardly ever this excited about anything.

For the colonial doctor this was a once in lifetime opportunity; a mobile intellingent hologram who was a medic ?

Unbelievable!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**The Xavier; the bridge...**_

Jean sighed with relief as she watched Logan and Q Junior leave the meeting room to begin a tour of the Galactica.

The tiny cameras within the 'X' emblems on Logan and Q's clothing was giving very good video and audio quality of what was going on the Galactica.

"Okay Jean; please explain why we have _two _colonials coming on board the Xavier?"

Jean looked at the female teen beside her; she was not smiling.

Earlier on when the meeting started; Jean and Laura had been watching the proceedings.

Then they noticed how nervous Ensign Rogers and Lieutenant Agathon appeared.

Jean warned Laura before using the CMS to _'see'_ what was really going on.

What she had seen briefly in the colonials minds was astonishing.

The telepath was silent for a few moments before answering.

"Sharon is seriously considering killing herself."

Laura stared at her in surprise. "Why and should we care?"

Jean was a bit taken aback by her attitude but part of her understood the reason for the questions.

"It's not what you think...Sharon feels if she kills herself she will end up on a resurrection ship and rescue her daughter.

However the obvious flaws to that plan is that she is unaware if there is such a ship in range and she does not have a plan B when she gets there.

The 'suicide plan A' is her last option...if we do not help her...that's why she wants to be on the Xavier."

Laura was silent for a long time.

"And the other guy?"

Jean could not help but smile at her. " I believe we just found our first colonial mutant."

Laura's lower jaw dropped. " You have got to be kidding."

Jean shook her head. "Oh no; I'm not. Logan is going to be so surprised when he hears this. Especially when I inform him that Ensign Rogers may just be discovering his abilities for the first time."

Laura looked at the screen with a strange look in her eyes.

"Do his superiors know?"

Jean's expression changed to a thoughtful frown.

"I doubt it...the poor boy thinks he's actually going mad...that's why he has not told anyone."

"What kind of ability are we talking about?"

"I think he's an empathy with some precognitive ability."

Laura nodded. "Pretty good skills for a pilot; especially the second one."

"I agree; but he needs to get on board here where I can test him with his permission."

Laura turned back to her. "You're worried about him; why?"

The telepath was silent for a long time.

"Back when I was a teacher in the Xavier's school for the talented...we had a lot of students who were brought by their parents or who ran away to come to a place where they were understood.

A place where they could find explanations about their abilities and were also taught that they were people and not freaks."

She stopped as if steeling herself against certain memories.

"But there were the ones...who did not know of such sanctuary.

They only knew ridicule, hate and being hurt. Those ones either made their own rules of how to deal with the situation...or they ended themselves."

Laura was silent for a while. "I get it; so become a criminal or suicide."

Jean winced at her blunt but accurate analysis. Trust Laura not to sugar-coat anything. She wondered if she had realized how similar her attitude was to Logan's.

"Yes...I don't think Rogers is the kind to kill him-self but..."

"You never know, everyone has a breaking point," completed Laura softly as she stared at the screen.

Jean looked at her and said nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

_**Somewhere in space...**_

The two cylon scouts had been waiting for hours for a reply from the base.

They eventually received a long transmission with new directives.

After a few minutes of breaking down the message; the two ships waited for the intermittent signals they had been tracking.

It came half an hour later and then all the two cylon scout had to wait for was the reinforcements.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

_**Cylon Basestar, Cavil's quarters...**_

The Number one stared at the screen for a long time.

Finally he knew where those 'colonials' were; now on to his second big problem.

How do you incapacitate a ship of the Thirteenth Tribe ?

Contrary to what most of his brethren believed; he did not want to destroy them completely...well at least not right away.

He wanted to learn their technological strengths and most importantly their weaknesses.

He already knew of one weakness.

Their apparent reluctance to kill.

True; one small ship had destroyed a single basestar with one missile.

But why stop at one basestar; why not destroy the second one while you had the chance ?

Was it compassion or arrogance that had made them stay their hand ?

Well; he was only too keen to teach them the error of their ways.

Cavil quickly sent out new directives; then stared at it before sending it.

"_**Await reinforcements; then locate the colonial refugees and the Xavier. Attack the Xavier on sight ; transmit location and attempt incapacitation of the Xavier with the viral package."**_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Basestar; weapons development facility...**_

Aaron Doral ran the stimulation again and swore when he got the same disappointing results.

Increasing the nukes yield by 50% did not produce any advantage what so ever. The problem was the shield; if there was a way to get beneath them he bet he could do some damage.

But then again; he had no idea what the hull plating of the Xavier was made of.

If only he could get on the damned ship.

"Aaron; a moment of your time."

The number Five sighed impatiently before turning round to face Leoben.

"And how can I help you today sir?" asked Aaron sharply " I do have a lot of work to do as you can obviously see."

Leoben let the sarcasm wash over him.

"You need to speak to Cavil; attacking the Xavier is not the way to go about this."

Aaron looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Excuse me; did you not see how we were so royally and totally frakked by their ship?"

"Yes; but it was not without cause. We attacked them first.

They could have destroyed us completely; but they did not.

That shows a level of maturity that is lacking in the colonials...and dare I say it in us as well."

Aaron stared at the number Two for a long time.

"Sometimes I wonder whose side you're on."

Leoben felt his lower jaw drop. "Excuse me?"

"You talk as if we're not at war with _the entire_ human race. They brought this upon themselves."

The number Two rolled his eyes in exasperation. " For the love of God; listen to yourself. We nuked 12 planets and caused the deaths of 20 billion humans.

Is that not enough ? We practically destroyed their civilization; this has to end now before we destroy ourselves as well!"

Aaron's expression was set in stone; he was clearly not convinced by the cylon's reasoning.

"Leoben; it will never be enough...until Earth is also a smoking ruin like the 12 planets we destroyed."

Leoben stared at him in despair; at loss for words.

The sound of slow clapping had him turning round to see Cavil entering the room.

"Bravo Leoben; what a eloquent and pathetic plea...you would have made a certain female colonial viper pilot exceedingly proud."

Aaron's smirked at the red angry expression on Leoben's face.

Cavil was not finished. " Did Caprica send you ? That's just typical ; leaving the dirty work for her underlings to do."

"No one sent me," said the number Two through gritted teeth " but she's right. Attacking them again may lead to insurmountable losses."

Cavil raised an eyebrow. "You're so afraid of one ship ?"

"Not one ship," corrected Leoben "of Earth. A colony that has been out of contact for the past 4 millennia! We have no idea of their military capability. They may even have colonies that we have no idea about."

Aaron had a thoughtful frown on his face but Cavil snorted in derision.

"I sincerely doubt that Earth has any colonies; the historical accounts stated they stayed on only one planet."

Leoben stared at him; he was clearly puzzled by Cavil's confident reply.

"How can you be sure? And what historical accounts do you have that I haven't seen?

Even the colonials thought Earth was a myth until desperation forced them to look for evidence !"

Cavil had a smug smile on his face. "Leoben...take my word for it. They are on one single planet."

Aaron gave Cavil a slightly puzzled frown; then shrugged apparently not bothered. "Well gentle-cylons; unless either of you are about to give me any help in increasing the yield of our nukes...I would suggest you both get the frak out of my lab."

Both male cylons stared at him.

"Fine...have it your way," said Leoben in a cold voice which masked the despair he felt.

The number Two quickly left the lab.

Aaron watched him walk away and turned to Cavil.

"That goes for you too Cavil."

The number One looked at him with a wry smile. Of all the models ; Aaron was clearly not afraid of him.

Oh Caprica could shout at him all she wanted but he could always detect the slight fear that she so carefully hid behind her snide remarks.

Boomer was clearly reluctant to cross him which made him wonder what had recently given her the guts to vote against him when they lost a basestar to the Xavier.

Simon knew his place and kept to it.

D'anna was very cautious around him; never directly challenging him like Caprica did. Maybe there might be some fear there afterall.

Leoben; the peacemaker...clearly an idiot but smart enough to never challenge Cavil directly.

Definitely scared of him then.

Cavil allowed his thoughts to return to the present.

"Aaron; from your obvious tone of frustration...I believe you are no closer to discovering how to get beyond Xavier's shields."

"And?" asked Aaron sharply.

"How would you like me to show you how that can be done ?...and also we could add a...little something to our current nukes that would increase the yield by more than 200 percent."

Instead of looking pleased; Aaron looked even more angry. "Lose the riddles old man and tell me what it is you know."

Astonishingly; Cavil found himself smiling at the Number Two abrupt words.

"As you wish," he withdrew a small epad from his jacket and handed it to the Number two.

Aaron took it and began to read the file on the screen.

Five minutes later he looked at Cavil in shock.

"This...this is..."

"Brilliant ? Genius ? Well what can I say ? I do try," said Cavil with a shark's grin.

"Well...yes; but the risk involved..."started the stunned Aaron again.

"Will be so worth it...besides cylons will not be risked only the raiders and whoever is piloting them," cut in Cavil.

"I know...but the last time we tried this..."

"Yes, yes it was a disaster," interrupted the Number One waving away Aaron's feeble protests " come now; you are a man of science and must realize that for us as a civilization to move forward we must be ready to take risks."

Cavil pointed to the epad in Aaron's hand. " And that is certainly a risk worth taking...that is if you are up to the task."

The number One saw the indecision leave Aaron's face to be replaced by fierce determination.

"Of course I can do this," he said heatedly.

Cavil smirked inwardly; the old tactic always worked. Tell a psychopath like Aaron that he was not strong enough or smart enough to do something and he would die trying to prove everyone wrong.

"I have no doubt that you can; my dear brother," said Cavil with a cold smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**The Galactica; medical bay...**_

After the meeting; President Roslin, her vice-president and her PA excused themselves from the excursion. Logan suspected they were having a private meeting to discuss what had just happened. Roslin had not looked happy with Zarek.

Good thing there was a break; Logan was finding it hard to tolerate the suspicious vice president.

Meanwhile; Logan was regretting coming to the medical bay; for several reasons.

One was the smell and the memories it brought.

The earliest that Logan could remember of his life was October 12th; 1979. However soon after that he quickly realized he must have been a soldier; and he took several jobs.

Some were normal everyday jobs but quite a number had been in the mercenary category.

The Galactica medical bay was almost identical to a field hospital he had being to in Laos; in the 1980s. Logan had joined a group of mercenaries who had been looking for American prisoners of the Vietnam War.

It had been a brutal mission and many of them had not made it back.

The second reason was the looks of hope and fear that were cast in his direction.

When he and Ensign Q Junior had entered the medical bay with Dr Cottle and Admiral Adama, Ensign Rogers, and Lieutenant Sharon Agathon; everyone that could stand had stood up and taken notice.

Hell; Logan had half expected them to start saluting him; but thankfully that did not happen.

Then Ensign Q Junior started helping Dr Cottle and that was when the expressions on their faces turned to near worship.

A quick glance at Q Junior showed that he was clearly very uncomfortable but he did his work professionally.

Logan had been worried at one point when a huge marine entered the medical bay and quickly approached the slightly built ensign.

Q Junior looked up at him and seemed to recognise him but was not alarmed.

Logan's keen hearing picked up their short conversation.

"Sergeant Tyler; glad to see you looking well," said Q Junior calmly.

"Not as glad as I am to see you Ensign...many of us would not have made it back without your help. On behalf of them I thank you." Sergeant Tyler stuck out his right hand.

Q Junior looked at it for a few seconds in surprise as everyone stared at them.

The ensign who looked like a young child shook hands with the bigger man.

"You're welcome sergeant; I was only doing my job."

Logan felt relief flow through him. Thank God that at least a few colonials were grateful.

Then he wondered if many of the colonials knew what Q Junior was.

Something told him that the Admiral and the President would not be so free with that piece of information.

Logan let his gaze sweep over the rest of the medical bay.

It was cramped and clearly some of the equipment needed to be changed or discarded but he could tell they had very few supplies and they had to manage with what they had.

Yeah. Just like the Lao field hospital; they hardly had enough for the wounded; no wonder so many of them died.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Beside him Sharon watched his expression; a part of her wondered what he was thinking when he looked around the medical bay.

She had been wholly aware of how understaffed and poorly equipped the medical bay was before she saw the medical bay on the Xavier.

Sharon was sure Dr Cottle would have a heart attack if he saw what the medical bay of the Xavier looked like.

"This is the only medical bay on the ship?" she heard Logan ask the Admiral.

"Yes it is," answered Admiral Adama in his gravelly voice "it's not enough."

Logan nodded grimly.

The Admiral looked at him for a few moments. "We could go to the CIC while Ensign Q Junior helps Dr Cottle."

Logan stared at him. " The CIC ?"

Adama hid a sigh; he had forgotten that Logan was not a member of the colonial forces.

"The combat information centre."

A look of understanding appeared on Logan's face. "The bridge as we call it on the Xavier."

Adama nodded at the simplicity and hidden meaning in that word. "I can see the similarity."

"I would appreciate seeing the CIC," but Adama could detect hesitation in Logan's tone. Then he saw him look towards where Q junior was scanning the left knee of a nervous looking colonial civilian.

It was clear that he was worried about the hologram's safety.

Admiral Adama had seen how the 'ensign' went through the airlock doors and tackled marines who were much bigger than him. He was more concerned about the safety of everyone else around the 'ensign'.

"I will assist him, Captain Logan."

Both men turned to face Sharon Agathon.

Logan looked at her for a long time. "That would be...helpful."

Sharon knew he was placing a lot of trust in her...which was scary. From the reports she read and from what Anders told her; it was obvious that the hologram was a very important member of the Xavier crew.

There were a lot of theories as to why that was so; but she doubted the captain or Dr Grey were going to tell them why Ensign Q was so important.

"Let me speak to him first," said Logan before approaching the ensign.

Q Junior had a questioning look on his face when his captain and Sharon got nearer.

"The admiral has invited me to see the combat information centre...a.k.a the bridge of Galactica."

Q Junior looked at him with some anxiety. "You'll be okay , captain?"

Logan could not help but smile at the fact that Q Junior was worried about the his safety.

"Sure; Lieutenant Agathon will be assisting you while you're here in the medical bay."

Now Q Junior frowned a little as he looked at the female cylon. "I don't n..."

"She'll introduce you to the patients; that may be useful."

Q Junior stared at him for several moments. "Yes captain."

Logan nodded at Sharon and went back to the Admiral.

"Fine; let's see the CIC Admiral."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**Private meeting room...**_

Once Roslin and Zarek left the large group they headed for one of the private rooms close to the CIC. Both remained silent until they reached the room.

Roslin ordered a stunned Tory Foster and the marine escort to wait outside then she and Zarek entered the room.

The door had barely closed before Zarek started.

"You're sending a fraking cylon to spy on the Xavier? Are you insane?!"

She gave him an icy glare. "

"We wanted more than one colonial officer on that ship. Adama was this close to preventing Rogers from taking that post when he collapsed.

It was only when Dr Grey intervened and suggested having a second colonial officer...specifically Lieutenant Agathon; that we _got _two colonials on that ship!

Would you prefer if Captain Logan refused us completely ?

Do recall that having his daughter and ensign shoved into an airlock has not endeared us to them at all!"

Zarek snorted. "You will always blame me for that...I never gave the order..."

"But you sure contributed to the frakking situation!" hissed Roslin. Zarek's obstinate manner was fraying her nerves.

"We are in a very delicate phase of negotiations and the first impressions we made on them have not been favourable!"

"I am very aware of that," said Zarek through gritted teeth "that does not mean that we should welcome them with open arms."

"So your alternative is extreme hostility?!," shot back Roslin. She stopped and took a deep breath. What she really wanted to do was yell at him.

But she did not have the energy to do so.

She sat down; then motioned for him to do the same.

Zarek stared at her for several moments before claiming a seat.

"I know we do not agree on everything...but you must see that we need Captain Logan and his crew."

The vice president frowned. " We just need the co-ordinates..."

"We need more than that," said Roslin in a quiet voice.

Zarek's eyes narrowed. "You want them to heal you."

Roslin said nothing but the redness that came into her face was the answer he needed.

"I...I don't trust the hologram that much, Zarek."

"So you trust him a little?" asked the vice president in an surprised tone "look; I admit the way it...healed the ensign's forearm was very impressive.

But you must ask yourself...what else is it really capable of ? It retrieved the captain; his daughter and the doctor. From where? And for what?!

It clearly has military and medical training; why would Starfleet give it so much autonomy?"

Roslin raised a placating hand. "Those are questions we may never have answered...but having the two colonials on the Xavier might help us find out a bit more about them."

Zarek's lip formed a thin line of disapproval. "Rogers may be...alright but Agathon is not a good choice. Believe me when I say this will come back to haunt us."

The president sighed wearily and Zarek could see the lines of fatigue around her eyes.

"Zarek...we don't really have a choice; do we?"

Her vice president was silent for a long time.

"You're right...we don't."

Roslin nodded. "Then let us figure out what we need Rogers and Agathon to look into...and how they will report back to us.

Please get Tory in here."

Zarek nodded; both knew a temporary truce had been declared.

There was a lot at stake and a mountain of work to overcome in too short a time; they might as well get started.

He stood up and went to the door to get the PA.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**The colonial fleet's current position...**_

Lieutenant Margaret 'Racetrack' Edmondson glanced at the ship she flew beside.

The _Gemenon Traveller_; it had been quickly changed into a transport vessel for tylium; the precious fuel that was needed for all colonial ships.

And at that moment; it was carrying a lot of that fuel.

Which was why it had 6 vipers and 4 raptors accompanying it.

At first; Racetrack had demanded for more until the CAG called her and told her in firm tones that they could not spare anymore.

Well; at least thank the Gods; nothing happened on the planet where they got the fuel from.

"Racetrack," she turned to look at Skulls.

"We're approaching the Xavier."

Racetrack noticed the almost revered way in which he called the ship.

She didn't blame him; it wasn't every day that one came in contact with members of the Thirteenth Tribe. She had only seen them briefly in the flight bay when a good number of the officers crapped in their pants when they own weapons were turned against them.

She even understood why the captain and Dr Grey had been so mad.

If that child had been her daughter...she would have nuked the Galactica straight up. No questions asked.

She had heard rumours; they had cylons of their own...she prayed that was just a rumour.

Even when she spoke to Hotdog and Starbuck; they said nothing.

Someone up high had ordered them to keep their mouths shut.

It had taken her a long time before she had accepted Sharon...then again the crazy cylon pilot had saved their hides more times than she could count.

So...in her mind; Racetrack could easily forget she was a cylon.

"I'll speak to Dr Grey."

Skulls' relief was so obvious that Racetrack struggled not to laugh.

She took a deep breath and started transmitting.

"This is Lieutenant Margaret Edmondson; we are returning to the Galactica with the Gemenon Traveller."

A few seconds passed before there was a reply.

"_Good day Lieutenant; Dr Grey here...I hope your mission was successful."_ The female voice was calm and soothing.

Racetrack saw Skulls' relax and shook her head. The guy was already half way in love with her.

"Yes it was ma'am."

"_Please; it's Dr Grey; not ma'am,"_ said the doctor with a sigh.

"Yes ma...I mean Dr Grey," corrected Racetrack quickly. Beside her Skulls was covering his mouth in attempt to hide his soft laugther.

She glared at him for good measure.

"_Well Lieutenant,"_ continued Dr Grey _"have a safe trip..."_ her voice trailed off; that stopped Skull's laughter and the change in her voice made the two pilots realize something was wrong.

"_Lieutenant; get your group back to the fleet at once; Xavier's just warned me that some ships are coming...possibly cylon."_

Racetrack's heart raced at the urgency in the woman's voice.

"There's nothing on the DRADIS," said Skulls as he scanned the screen; then before he could say another word; twenty dots appeared on the screen.

Cylon signatures.

And they were between them and the rest of the fleet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Galactica, the CIC...**_

Logan listened carefully as the Admiral explained what the CIC was for; he noticed the blank expression the CAG's face as he watched them.

Commander Lee Adama was clearly not pleased to see him; the colonial pilot had left them earlier when their small group went to the medical bay.

Apparently the CIC had been the CAG's destination.

"Your CIC seems rather well run."

"Do you have a similar number of staff?" asked the CAG.

Fishing for info are we? Thought Logan.

"Of course not; my ship is a lot smaller than the Galactica...so we don't need as many crew," said Logan with a straight face.

Lee turned a bit red when he realized he had asked a stupid question.

Even a few nearby colonial officers seemed to look like they were trying to control their expressions.

Logan turned to the Admiral to ask a question but a brief expression of stunned surprise passed over the colonial's face.

The mutant was quick to realize that Adama was looking at someone over his shoulder.

He caught a whiff of alcohol before he heard a familiar voice.

"Admiral Adama; the Gemenon Traveller is returning to the fleet."

Logan turned round to see a man who was identical to Paul Tighris; except that he had a right eye patch.

The man's face was slightly flushed due to the effect of alcohol; but he stood ramrod straight with a blank expression but Logan could also smell the tightly suppressed fear.

"Captain Logan, this is ...Colonel Saul Tigh; the executive officer of the Galactica," said Adama in a calm but resigned tone.

The silence was only broken by the noise of the computers; everyone waited for Logan's reaction.

He stared at the man before him; so many thoughts crossed his mind.

Laura and Q Junior being shoved into an airlock; the old holographic recording and how different the two men appeared.

Paul Tighris had lost his world; but his wife had still been alive. In that recording he appeared bowed but not broken and it was obvious his wife was his whole life.

But Saul Tigh; the man standing before him was possibly trying to drink himself to death because he felt he had nothing more to live for. His wife; Ellen Tigh was dead, possibly killed by the cylons.

That did not make Logan feel sympathetic. Displacing one's aggression on two kids was inexcusable.

However for some strange reason; Logan did not want to split him in half.

Maybe because such a death would be too quick; the alcohol would certainly kill him slowly and painfully.

Quite appropriate if anyone asked him.

"I see," was all Logan said calmly as a faint sheen of sweat began to form on the XO's brow. The captain of the Xavier turned away from the XO to face the Admiral.

Adama released a slight sigh of relief.

"Captain Logan," called Saul Tigh in a calm tone.

The CAG closed his eyes in despair; the one-eyed idiot was a dead man.

Logan froze; then turned back slowly to face the XO. He did not look pleased.

Saul Tigh swallowed nervously and spoke in as calm a voice as possible.

"I gave the order for your daughter and the ensign to be put into an airlock..."

"Saul; this is not..." started the Admiral in alarm.

The XO spoke over his superior's voice. " I regret the decision I made; the Admiral and the president was not aware of what I was about to do.

I apologize for the harm caused to your crew...I was only trying to protect the fleet."

The light in Logan's eyes could only be described as feral; however his voice was deceptively soft but those watching could feel the anger beneath it.

"It is fortunate that they are both alive...otherwise we _would not_ be having this conversation."

Saul Tigh paled at the implied threat; but Logan was not done.

"Your admiral; and one of your crew have already apologized on your behalf."

Rogers felt his face heat up as people looked at him.

"Yours took a while...but nevertheless it has been offered. I...accept...but will not forget," said Logan in a cold hard tone. He ignored the look of disapproval on the Admiral's face.

Logan was no diplomat and could care less if he hurt anyone's feeling. They should try switching places with him and let's see how they dealt with the situation.

Saul Tigh still looked very pale but he answered in an even tone. "I understand Captain."

"Glad to hear it," said Logan curtly before turning back to the Admiral who was watching them with narrowed eyes.

Around them; there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief; even the CAG looked quite faint.

The Admiral opened his mouth to speak.

"Sir," called Dualla in a troubled voice " DRADIS contact...cylon signatures!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

**Hi everyone! So sorry about the wait; this past week has been very stressful. Sorry about the ending; however I'm already working on the next chapter and will put it up long before xmas! Everyone please read and enjoy. **

**Happy Holidays!**


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23 of the Phoenix and The Wolverine

_**Somewhere in between dimensions...**_

What the heck were those two idiots ? Thought General Q in annoyance.

He had been searching for the two Qs for a long time; this was odd.

Usually he could detect where any Q was if he wanted to speak to him or her.

But for some reason his senses were leading him on what old earth humans would have called a 'wild goose chase'.

This is just a game to them; thought the Q as he fumed; no wonder their son was so irresponsible.

They had to be up to something...he didn't care if it took him eons he would look for them as long as it took.

That bloody temporal anomaly could wait; it could be fixed easily so there was nothing to worry about.

_**Romulan neutral zone; The USS Dunkirk...**_

We're finally here, thought Oma as she maintained the ship's position.

Today she was on the bridge being supervised by Lieutenant Commander D'aran Tshula.

Usually she would be so thrilled to be piloting the Starfleet vessel; but today she did it with well hidden trepidation.

Because in a few minutes; the romulan delegation would be boarding the Dunkirk. The ship was currently on yellow alert; as far as Oma was concerned , a red alert was a lot more appropriate.

A quick look at the viewscreen showed the 6 Romulan Warbirds that were currently within the Federation borders.

With permission of course.

The other obvious anomaly was the massive whirling mass that looked like a storm cloud on the horizon.

Only that it was in a section of space which had never had such a thing before.

"This is strange," muttered the Trill beside her "the readings don't seem to make sense."

He glanced at the ensign beside him. "What do you think ensign?"

Oma thought carefully and quickly before answering; she had to take every question as an evaluation even if asked in a casual manner.

"The readings are giving conflicting reports...there is a 85% chance that what is before us is a..." she looked at her readings again "...a simple temporal displacement; a tear in time and space..." her voice faltered again.

"Then again it looks like something else doesn't it?" added D'aran in a soft encouraging voice.

"I..." Oma felt herself sweating " the readings state it also has fluctuating levels of neutrinos and...verterons...this doesn't make sense."

"Neutrinos and verterons...where have you heard of those occurring...naturally?" said the Lieutenant with a small smile.

Oma felt she knew the answer...but it was just out of reach.

"I..."

"The Bajoran wormhole," interrupted another male voice.

D'aran frowned before turning to face a human male Starfleet officer.

"Thanks; so much for your contribution Lieutenant Commander Flint," there was a slight edge in the Trill's voice to show that he had not appreciated the interruption.

Klaus Flint looked calmly at him. "We don't have time for teaching; the romulans are on their way to the bridge...by the way you're welcome."

The officer returned to the security station.

D'aran resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the lieutenant commander's crisp cold tones.

When he had first met the human commander he had been a bit startled at his aloof attitude and almost Vulcan behaviour.

He observed the man for a few months and realized he behaved like that to everyone.

Many thought it was due to his extremely conservative English background and upbringing.

D'aran had many humans who were his friends and some vulcans...but Flint just annoyed him a lot.

The trill turned back to see Oma's face was slightly reddened.

Oh Gods; she had been embarrassed; now he felt even more annoyed.

"Well...the romulans seemed very puzzled by this anomaly. Can you guess why?"

From his security station; Klaus looked up and glared at the back of the Trill's head.

Oma stared at the senior officer beside her.

"The bajoran wormhole has an enormous financial and political impact on Bajor and DS9. It is also a significant strategic anomaly as was seen in the Dominion War."

D'aran nodded; he was no longer smiling. "And?"

"Having a second stable wormhole which straddles the Federation/Romulan Neutral Border...could disrupt the current balance of peace in this quadrant."

The Trill nodded with a solemn look. "Excellent deduction ensign...now you know how important this mission is."

Oma could say no more for that was when the romulans arrived on the bridge.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**The transporter room; a few minutes earlier...**_

Captain Singh had waited with Captain T'Laina of the USS Endeavour , Captain Rhalen T'shar of the USS Zeus and Lieutenant Commander Shan.

They had barely arrived in the area less than 20minutes ago and already the Romulans were asking to come on board to discuss the anomaly.

Well at least they had asked to come on board...but Singh had a funny feeling that they were in a hurry.

On the way from starbase 47; the Starfleet captains had been told they would meet with Captain T'Rehu Maelrok of the Decius; a romulan warbird.

At the moment the sensors of the Starfleet ships could only detect 5 other romulan warbirds.

There was no other information of who else was accompanying her.

But Singh could bet his next meal that she would have at least two Tal Shiar with her.

This anomaly was too important for them to ignore.

Commander Atavi had already run preliminary scans from her astro-physics lab and to state that she was excited was the understatement of the century.

If what she said was possible...then Starfleet may have a big problem on their hands.

He doubted their first reaction would be one of excitement and enthusiasm.

As the romulans materialized on the transporter platform; he wondered how many other 'cloaked' warbirds were in the territory.

5 romulans appeared on the transporter pad.

Right away Singh_ knew_ which two were Tal Shiar.

Suddenly he wished he had asked Starfleet for more ships.

The captain of the Dunkirk kept a calm expression and moved forward to greet the 5 expressionless romulans.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Major Nveid Solius stayed in the background as Captain Maelrok introduced herself and those accompanying her.

The Tal Shiar noticed the security personnel and the way a male andorian Starfleet officer watched each of them. The pips on andorian's collar identified his rank as Lieutenant Commander.

When Maelrok introduced Colonel S'Tokkr; his blunt reply clearly showed his lack of respect.

Major Nveid Solius hid a sigh of exasperation.

The Federation may not be their allies...but that did not mean one was not courteous. When it got to his turn; he smiled and answered politely.

The Tal Shiar colonel gave him a sharp brief glare before turning back to the Starfleet officers; especially focusing on the Vulcan federation officer.

T'Laina; the female Vulcan captain stared back calmly at him. Not in the slightest intimidated.

"Captain Singh, the empire appreciates your prompt arrival," said Maelrok in a smooth tone. "Shall we get to work?"

Singh nodded. " Of course; please come this way...we will be going to the bridge."

Nveid smiled even more; maybe he could learn some more things about this ship before this mission was over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**USS Dunkirk; the bridge...**_

Oma tried to control her racing heart as she heard the turbo-lift doors open.

She distinctly heard the captain explaining to the romulans where they were; then she heard him call Commander Atavi to join them in the ready room.

Oma was about to release a sigh of relief when her sensors picked up a familiar reading.

"Captain; a ship just emerged from warp...it's klingon," said Oma out loud.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Where ensign?" ordered Singh.

"It emerged right in-front of the anomaly."

Singh felt dismay and shock radiate from Maelrok before she shut it down completely. The Starfleet captain was careful not to show any indication that he noticed.

Oma zoomed in with the lens for the viewscreen and a Klingon Bird of Prey seemed to linger before the anomaly for a few minutes before turning round and approaching the three Starfleet ships..

The five romulan ships moved to intercept.

"What is that doing here?" asked Maelrok with a glint in her eyes.

"I have no idea...I was hoping you would enlighten us," said Singh calmly.

"Captain," called D'aran " we're being hailed."

"Let's hear it Mr Tshula," said Singh.

Before long the viewscreen showed a battle scarred male klingon facing the screen.

"Hail USS Dunkirk; well met. This is Captain Karath of the IKS Y'tem. What brings you to this part of the galaxy?"

Singh opened his mouth to speak but S'Tokkr beat him to it.

"You have no business here."

Karath smiled calmly. "On the contrary...the Federation and the Klingon empire are allies. If there is a...significant anomaly that is so important to them; I believe we should also be involved," he paused.

"Anyway; I doubt you are the captain of the Dunkirk. I was addressing him and certainly not you." The klingnon;s voice was calm but the light is his eyes was cold when he looked at the romulans.

Singh jumped right in before the romulan succeeded in insulting the klingon captain.

"Hello Captain Karath; I am Captain Terence Singh of the USS Dunkirk.

We're here to investigate the anomaly...we were invited by the Romulan empire."

Karath watched him for a while. "Is that so? Now that is interesting...this anomaly also appears to be... expanding into Federation space.

You might require more help in case it gets out of hand."

Singh looked at the klingon for a long time.

S'Tokkr smirked openly; certain of the outcome.

"Captain Karath, your help is appreciated and accepted as well."

Maelrok felt her lower jaw drop.

"What?!" asked a clearly incensed S'Tokkr.

Nveid could not help but smile at his senior colleague's anger. Maelrok wisely kept silent.

"Captain; we requested only the Federation..." started S'Tokkr in a harsh tone.

"And we have arrived but it looks like we may need a different perspective to understand what is going on here.

Besides; that anomaly is encroaching into Federation space...so we are entitled to ask any of our allies for help as well," said Singh calmly. He was clearly not intimidated by the Tal Shiar.

"Excellent; two of my crew and I will be beaming over shortly," said Karath with a huge grin which now reached his eyes. The view screen changed back to show the huge rotating cloud-like anomaly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**Teleporter control room...**_

Once again Captain Singh found himself back in the teleportation room to welcome the new arrivals. He had asked the romulans to stay in the captain's ready room with his 2IC; Commander Caleb Bishop.

But Colonel S'Tokkr had argued that he wanted to see the klingons; until the silent Major Nveid Solius spoke.

The young romulan had calmly advised his superior to stay in the ready room while _he _accompanied Singh to meet the klingons.

The two Tal Shiar had stared at each other for what seemed an eternity before S'Tokkr agreed to Singh's surprise.

Why would a senior Tal Shiar obey a junior one ? Thought Singh.

Captain Singh tried to get a read of the younger romulan's feelings.

Now and then he could detect curiosity, especially when they had been on the bridge but nothing else. For now; it looked like Nveid kept his emotions under control.

It was not long before the familiar sound of transporters heralded the arrival of the klingons.

There were three of them; two males and one female.

First off the platform was Captain Karath.

"Captain Singh, it is an honour to meet you," said Karath with an easy grin as he clasped the starfleet's officer's right forearm.

Singh succeeded in not wincing at the firm grip and thought he detected a mischievous light in the klingon's warrior's eyes.

"The honour is all ours Captain Karath. Welcome to the Dunkirk."

Karath nodded and gestured towards the other two klingons.

"My science officer Lieutenant Commander Mirta" the female klingon nodded; her face expressionless.

"...and my security officer Commander K'laz."

The male klingon grunted in reply. Karath gave him a wry look before acknowledging the romulan who was silently watching them.

Singh did not waste any time introducing him. "Major Nveid Solius of the Decius."

Nveid did not bother correcting the captain of his ship's name. The human captain could not have known that he and S'Tokkr had simply 'invited' themselves to Captain Maelrok's ship.

"You and the other...one are Tal Shiar; are you not?" asked Karath bluntly.

Nveid raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

Karath just smiled coldly. "A feeling." He turned back to the captain of the Dunkirk.

"So what is that anomaly out there?".

Singh smiled dryly. "That's what we're trying to figure out Captain Karath...let's continue this conversation in more appropriate quarters."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**The bridge...**_

Oma was waiting to use the turbo-lift when it opened to reveal it's occupants.

It was time for her shift break and she had just been relieved at the helm.

Captain Singh was the first one out and he nodded to her as she stood by respectively. Then she turned to see three klingons and one romulan staring at her.

"_What do we have here_?" she heard one of the male klingons say softly in his native language.

She recognised him as Captain Karath.

Oma saw the insignia on his uniform. "Welcome to the Dunkirk, Captain."

The other male klingon muttered something which earned him dark looks from his captain and the female klingon. He fell silent when he noticed his captain's furious expression.

Oma felt her face heat up; she had heard what he said and had _understood _it perfectly.

He had called her a weakling that should have died at birth.

Nveid's gaze sharpened; apparently he also understood klingon.

"Something wrong?" asked Captain Singh; gone was his soft voice, now replaced by a hard cold tone.

"Not at all captain; K'laz is aware of where he is," said Karath in a soft deceptive voice " and also what he needs to do now."

The last bit was said with a growl.

K'laz looked a bit embarrassed and quickly growled an apology.

Karath looked at Oma.

"_Accepted,"_ she replied in klingon; her expression was cold.

The klingon captain looked at her.

"Daughter of Kahless...what house do you come from ?"

Oma looked at him. "The house of Kadretti Captain."

Karath stared at her and grinned. "Ah I see; you claim your human father's house first...and with pride as well.

Come to think of it...it does sound like a strong klingon name."

Oma wisely kept silent. She knew he wanted to know _which _ klingon house she was related to...but she was not going to make it easy for him.

"I believe Ensign Kadretti is just about to change her shift; please come this way," said Singh as he tried to draw their attention away from her.

Karath nodded with an easy grin. "Of course; of course...till we meet again daughter of Kahless."

Oma nodded and quickly made her escape.

It was afterwards that she realized that the romulan, Nveid had said nothing the entire time but he had been watching and he had a strange light in his eyes.

Alone in the turbo-lift; Oma felt her knees shake.

She could not wait for this damn mission to be over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The captain's ready room...**_

Singh waited until everyone was seated before he began introductions.

The 5 romulans; the captain with her science officer; security chief and the two Tal Shiar.

The three klingons; captain Karath; science officer Lieutenant Commander Mirta and security officer Commander K'laz.

Between the two groups sat science officer Commander Shila Atavi , Lieutenant Commander Telev Shran, Commander Caleb Bishop the 2IC of the Dunkirk, Captain T'Laina of the USS Endeavour and Captain Rhalen T'shar of the USS Zeus.

All romulans eyed the klingon with open hostility; except Major Nveid Solius. He seemed preoccupied by something else.

"Why are you here?" asked S'Tokkr abruptly. His question was directed towards the klingons.

"The same reasons you all are here as well...we heard that a wormhole was opening up on the Neutral Romulan border," answered Karath easily.

"But this hardly concerns you; how did you hear about the anomaly?" asked Maelrok with narrowed eyes.

"Oh sensors are wonderful machinery; you never know what you will pick up," said Karath wryly.

S'Tokkr's face darkened with anger. He opened his mouth to speak.

"It does not matter how we each found out," started Singh " what matters is what that anomaly is and how it can impact the stability of the region.

I presume that is why the Romulan Empire asked for our assistance.

He looked at the romulan group.

Maelrok nodded. "Quite right...it is common knowledge that due to the proximity of DS9 to the Bajoran wormhole; Starfleet is the leading expert in the only naturally occurring wormhole..._that _we know of."

Singh nodded warily.

The Bajoran wormhole was more than 10,000 years old and was the only naturally occurring stable one in existence. It crossed some 70,000 light years and had one terminus located in the Denorios belt of the Bajoran system in the Alpha quadrant with the other at a point near the Idran system in the Gamma quadrant.

Since Bajor joined the Federation in 2379; a lot more research had been done on the wormhole and experts stated there were still a lot of questions that needed to be answered.

"But this anomaly is not yet a wormhole," added Commander Atavi.

Everyone looked at the orion science officer.

"However it has the features of one," commented Lieutenant Commander Mirta in a calm voice.

"I agree on that...but it's still quite unstable...by the by when your ship came out of warp right up to it...did you detect anything unusual...like a gravitational pull?" asked Atavi.

Mirta shook her head. "No," she glanced at her captain with an exasperated look"...we did it to see how similar it was to the Bajoran wormhole.

As you know; once you approach the bajoran one it gently draws you in while activating the wormhole.

But this one did not react at all...we did get some good readings."

"That was kind of dangerous," said Telev calmly "you could have been pulled in."

Karath grinned at him. "One must take risks to progress Mr Shan."

Telev smiled dryly and raised an eyebrow; once he had heard the name of the klingon ship he realized he recognized the name.

He had heard of the IKS Y'tem; it had fought like a demon during the Dominion War thus needing crew replacements frequently to replace those slain in the war.

A quick background check had shown that Captain Karath had been a crew member of the IKS Y'tem for those two deadly years of war.

Apparently from his recent actions; it showed that he was not tired of flying into danger. This matter of the wormhole had to be handled very carefully.

"Agreed," said Telev.

S'Tokkr's expression was getting darker by the second.

Nveid decided to talk before his senior colleague exploded with his fury.

"We also have some data that we are willing to share."

Karath raised both eyebrows at his statement. Singh knew how he felt; who ever heard of Tal Shiar sharing anything...willingly.

Nveid continued. "But we must prepare for certain...scenarios."

"Such as?" asked T'Laina; the female Vulcan captain of the USS Zeus.

"The possibility that this wormhole, which is almost as big as the Bajoran one will eventually stabilize and thus link us to another quadrant."

"You're...worried of what may be on the other side?" asked Captain Rhalen T'shar.

"Not just what...who and if they created the wormhole...why here and now," said Maelrok.

There was silence for a while.

The Dominion had invaded the Alpha Quadrant through the Bajoran wormhole. The conflict had lasted 2 long years.

Everyone in the room had fought in the Dominion War and they had survived it but billions had not.

Many worlds were still recovering and had a long way to go.

"The best thing to do would be to send an expedition through the wormhole," said Karath. Beside him his science officer tried to hide a look of dismay.

"When it is stable of course," added the klingon captain to his officer's relief.

"That will not be allowed," snapped S'Tokkr. Karath glared at him.

"And on what grounds will you refuse me passage?" said the klingon captain through gritted teeth.

"On no grounds," cut in Singh before the colonial romulan could reply.

"As I said before; the anomaly may have started in the Romulan Neutral zone but the readings taken since we got here shows it has expanded into the Federation borders," he paused.

"Captain Karath; thanks for the suggestion...but that anomaly needs to be observed extensively before we proceed to an experimental manned journey."

Karath looked like he was about to protest then shrugged. "Fair enough...but we would also like to observe. Mirta will give you the data we have collected so far."

"We will also need a copy," said Maelrok " to compare with ours of course."

"Oh certainly," said Mirta with a grim smile at the female romulan captain.

"Fine," said Singh with a small polite smile " then let's get to work."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**The Xavier, the bridge...**_

Jean had been talking to Lieutenant Edmondson; the pilot of one of the raptors when Xavier warned her of a FTL signature. As the computer described the new arrivals; Laura was already at the helm moving the ship to intercept.

"Lieutenant! Get your group back to the fleet at once; Xavier just told me some ships are coming...possibly cylon."

Jean switched off and mentally reached for the CMS; she had to find out what was flying those ships.

_**The Galactica, the CIC...**_

"Sir," called Dualla in a troubled voice " DRADIS contact...cylon signatures!"

"Where?" asked Logan and the Admiral at the same time. The two men looked at each other for a brief moment before turning back to the DRADIS screen.

Dualla answered without looking up from her screen.

"They are between us and the Gemenon Traveller...wait ! The Xavier is moving in to intercept."

Adama heard Logan mutter "no" in horror.

The mutant tapped his com-badge. "Jean come in," his voice was anxious.

A few seconds passed before a young feminine voice answered.

"_Hi captain; it's Laura...we kinda busy at the moment,"_ her voice sounded calm and focused.

"Beam Q or myself on board now and do not engage."

Adama shared a puzzled look with Saul Tigh at the strange word.

"_No can do captain,"_ replied Laura in the same calm voice "_Jean's orders...give us a few minutes while we engage."_

Logan looked at the com-badge in horror.

"Laura no! Do you hear me?"

There was silence for a bit then those nearby heard the following.

"_Sorry captain; you're breaking up."_

Logan felt like smashing something; he knew Laura heard him loud and clear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

_**The Galactica; medical bay...**_

"_Condition Red; cylon attack! This is not a drill!"_

Q Junior had just finished treating a patient when the klaxons went off. He turned to look at a very pale Sharon Agathon.

When Logan came over earlier and stated he was leaving Sharon to assist him; Q Junior had been very upset.

He was a Q and almost the equivalent of a 15 year old human teenager; he did not need a baby sister! But after one look at the steely expression on Logan's face ; he realized he better agree if he did not want to be embarrassed even more.

At first she had been silent and then she started speaking to some of the patients he was treating. He had to admit that having her help was very useful.

Miracle worker or not; some of the patients had been scared of him; it was only her reassurances in those cases that had enabled him approach and treat the patients.

He could tell she wanted to ask him some questions but she resisted the temptation. He wondered what she wanted to talk about.

Then the alarm sounded.

His first thought went to Laura and Dr Grey.

He stood up; ignoring the panicked looks several patients sent his way and he tapped his 'X' combadge.

"Xavier; come in."

It took a few minutes before he heard Dr Grey's voice.

"What's going on Dr Grey?"

"_20 cylon ships dropped out of a jump...appears to be 18 raiders and ...two other things. There is no need to beam onboard; watch out for Logan."_

Then she stopped the transmission.

Q was about to demand that Xavier beam him up when he noticed the cries of alarm around him. The patients were staring at him in fear and even Sharon looked very worried; but it was what she said next that shocked him.

"Don't use the light thing; they are not used to it...it may cause a panic."

It took a few seconds before he realized what she meant.

Beaming up in the middle of a panicked medical ward would only contribute to the chaos...and besides he was a medic and could not abandon his patients.

"Right," said Q Junior acknowledging Sharon's advice " I...I need to speak to Captain Logan."

Then his combadge went off. "_Q you there?"_ It was Logan's voice.

Q Junior touched his to respond. " Yes captain; I just spoke to Jean and she's ordered me to stay here."

He heard Logan swear._ "Q; stay with Sharon and Dr Cottle. I'm about to leave the CIC and get to the shuttle bay."_

"I can come as well!" protested Q Junior .

"_No, we may have injured coming in..._" Logan's voice trailed off.

Q Junior and Sharon shared a worried look. "Captain; what's going on?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**The Xavier, the bridge...**_

Once Laura terminated the transmission to Logan; she concentrated on the helm controls.

As she flew straight at the 20 cylon ships; she noticed several things.

The 20 ships rushed to meet her while The Gemenon Traveller and its escort fled back to the Galactica.

She also knew that from the apparent stillness of Jean; that she was using the CMS again.

As the cylons began to launch ineffective nukes that exploded on the shields; Xavier warned Laura that the cylons had tried hacking the computers again.

As predicted the attempt failed but this was all Laura needed as an excuse to shoot the ships down.

She did not send any warning but started taking out the ships simultaneously.

Two vipers detached themselves from the Gemenon traveller to assist but by the time they were in range; Laura was chasing the last 3 cylon ships.

As she picked them off; Xavier calmly stated two of them were broadcasting an encoded message.

"Note its destination," said Laura before she eventually got the last one.

All in all the total destruction of the 20 ships took less than 4 minutes.

She turned round to see Jean shakily disengage from the CMS.

"Jean; you okay?"

The telepath looked up to see the concern on the young girl's face.

"We've got a problem."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan was ordering Q Junior to stay in the medical bay when one of the colonial officers shouted joyfully that it was all over.

As the CIC erupted in cheers; Logan noticed a few people were not celebrating.

The Admiral; the CAG and the XO.

Logan could relate; the cylons had tracked them down.

How the hell had that happened?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Galactica; the CIC...**_

Once the excitement had died down; Admiral Adama tersely ordered the fleet to jump; he hesitated for a few seconds before sending the co-ordinates to the Xavier.

He turned round to find Logan watching him warily.

The captain of the Xavier looked at him as if he knew why he hesitated.

"Let's take this to my office," said the colonial admiral.

Logan nodded slowly. "Ensign Q Junior will join us."

It was not a request. Adama turned to his son while Logan notified the hologram to come to the CIC and to bring Sharon with him.

"I don't think having it there is a good idea," whispered Lee urgently to his father.

The Admiral kept silent and glanced at Logan who was watching them with narrowed eyes; his arms hanging loose by his side.

Adama wondered how fast he could draw his blades.

The sane part of him warned him that it would not be a good idea to see how fast he moved.

"_Logan; this is Jean."_

Admiral Adama and Lee looked at the 'X' emblem on Logan's shirt.

Logan tapped it before answering. "You guys alright?"

"_We're fine; the shields and hull are intact. The cylons tried to hack us again but were unsuccessful."_

The Admiral felt some relief flow through him even though his silent XO and the CAG still looked suspicious.

"_However; we may have a problem."_

Those few words caused the Adama's heart rate to pick up.

"Dr Grey; let's discuss this somewhere more...appropriate."

There was silence for a few seconds before she replied.

"_Do you need me to come over ?"_

"No," answered Logan curtly "I need you to watch our six until we find out what is going on."

Adama frowned at the words used; they sounded so similar to an old military phrase; but the meaning was just out of reach.

"_Fine...we will be monitoring your frequency."_

Logan relaxed a bit; apparently whatever message he had passed on had been received and understood.

"Then how do we discuss with Dr Grey?" asked Colonel Tigh.

The look Logan gave him could have cut glass. "She will speak through the com-badge."

"Sirs."

Everyone turned to face Lieutenant Junior Grade Felix Gaeta.

"The fleet is ready to jump."

"Initiate," ordered Admiral Adama.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**The Galactica; the Admiral's office...**_

Everyone who needed to be present had arrived.

President Roslin and Vice president Zarek had been in the middle of a private meeting when the cylons attacked the Xavier. Their escort was trying to get them to Colonial one when they were told the brief battle was over.

They had been informed of the emergency meeting and had made their way to the admiral's office.

Ensign Q Junior had been with Lieutenant Sharon Agathon and Dr Cottle. He was now standing between Logan and the female cylon.

Also present was Starbuck; the CAG and Ensign Rogers.

When the alarms sounded; Kara had ran to the flight deck to lift off to fight the cylons but she never got to fly out because the battle had lasted less than 4 minutes.

Gaeta and Foster were present to record and make notes.

For this meeting; there were no marines next door; instead they had a pair of guards outside preventing anyone coming in.

As for Saul Tigh; Adama had left him in charge of the CIC.

Having him too close to the hologram he tried to kill and the father of the daughter he shoved into the airlock was tempting the Fates a tad too much.

"We know why we're here," started Adama carefully as he looked at each person.

"How the frak did they find us?" asked Zarek coldly as he directed his stare at one person in particular.

Ensign Q Junior.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Q knew that once the excitement was over; the accusations would begin with him.

Typical.

"I had nothing to do with the cylons coming here," he said as calmly as he could. Inside his anger was increasing and if he was not careful he would end up saying or doing something he would regret later.

"You expect us to believe that?" asked the CAG.

"Personally; I don't care what you believe," cut in Logan calmly. Everyone's attention was drawn to him; which was precisely what he wanted.

"I trust Q Junior and believe he had nothing to do with the cylons attack.

What I do know is that the cylons tracked_ us _all to our last location and guess what happened next?" he looked at each of them.

"They ignored the fleet and went straight for the Xavier...tried to shoot it down and hack it's computer."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Roslin.

Logan turned to her. "The key to winning a war is keeping it simple.

When one is faced with overwhelming odds...the aim is levelling the playing field. In this case it's the Xavier.

The cylons saw what we did the last time we went toe-to-toe with a basestar but this time they sent 20 smaller cylon ships with a viral package in an attempt to _disable_ my ship.

They want it intact...which means for now the colonial fleet is a secondary importance for them."

Adama understood where Logan was coming from but the obvious question still remained.

"This may be hard for you to believe but I also want to know how they found us...because I am not keen to lead them to Earth," said Logan.

"But you must admit that this looks odd...for this is the second time the cylons have found us," said the Admiral.

"And both times; Ensign Q Junior was on board this ship," continued the Admiral as his eyes rested briefly on the holo-emitter on the hologram's left shoulder.

Q did not miss the subtle gesture.

"If you're implying my holo-emitter had something to do with them tracking me; then you are completely wrong.

This device only projects my holographic signature. It barely registers as a beacon."

"But it does transmit a signal doesn't it?" asked Kara.

Q Junior looked at her. "Oh yes it does; but not strong enough for the cylons or you to pick up on."

"What proof do you have of that?" snapped Zarek.

The hologram looked at him; there was an expression of mild annoyance of his face.

"Vice President Zarek; what do you know of the solar system when the Temple of Hope was found; on Hera's planet?"

The man was a bit taken aback by the question.

"How does that relate to this..."

"Please sir; humour me," said Q Junior with a glint in his eyes.

"I...I don't know much of the system...but the cylons also found you there as well! So that's proof that they are tracking you!" said Zarek triumphantly.

If he expected Q Junior to be cowed by this revelation; he was in for a surprise.

"On the contrary sir," said the hologram dryly " as our ship and your ships noticed in that system; the star emitted very strong EMP signals which disrupted long range communications and affected the sensor capabilities."

He looked at Kara Thrace. "Am I right or wrong?"

" No; you're not," answered the female colonial pilot slowly " in fact we could hardly use our sensors and the communication array once the distance between our ships increased and we could not scan the surface of the planet either."

"Precisely," said Q Junior "so if that was the case how did the colonials and cylons arrive at that planet ?"

He answered his own question quickly. "Yes, yes. I know you explained you used the star charts in your sacred books...but the points I am trying to make here is that one; the signal from my holo-emitter is not strong enough to register on scanners."

The CAG found himself nodding; once they realized he was a hologram they had tried scanning him the second time he came on board and could not detect any signal.

"Two; I never got close enough to the cylons for them to pick up my holoemitter signature so it is highly unlikely that they are tracking the fleet through me!"

"Highly unlikely does not mean 100 percent impossible," said Zarek coldy.

"Then the only other option is for us to leave the fleet," drawled Logan to everyone's shock.

Sharon and Kara in particular looked very faint.

The vice president looked smug for a bit until he realized what that would mean. President Roslin looked like she was about to pass out.

The Xavier leaving the fleet would mean them being at the mercy of the cylons; with no way to Earth.

Logan noticed the expressions of dismay and raised an eyebrow. "Oh; was it something I said?"

Admiral Adama stared at the man before him. Before Boomer shot him in the chest he thought he was a pretty good judge of character.

It took a lot of time and self belief before he was able to be that confident of anyone again.

When he met Logan; his first impression was that Logan was no diplomat but may have a code of honour.

Now he was wondering if he had been wrong.

"_Well; on that note it's high time everyone calmed down."_

Everyone looked at Logan; they had all forgotten that two other people were listening to the current conversation.

"Nice of you to join us Jean," said Logan dryly.

"_Yes quite,"_ she sounded irritated_ "now if all of you have finished blowing off steam; there is something you need to know._

_Right before Laura blasted the last cylon ship to smithereens; one of them succeeded in sending off a transmission."_

"Do you know what was in it?" asked Admiral Adama in a concerned tone.

"_No...due to their attempt at trying to hack our systems we did not attempt to record it in case it was a trap."_

Several people nodded with approval and some form of relief.

"_However we know where it was sent to...it's along our current projected route to Earth."_

That made everyone pay attention.

"Are you sure Jean?" asked Logan.

"_Absolutely...Xavier has triple checked the co-ordinates."_

"Does that mean they know the route to Earth?" asked Ensign Rogers in dismay.

"Could be a coincidence," muttered Q Junior.

"Did you destroy that temple completely?" asked Adama as he stared at the hologram.

"Em...I was never near it; you would have to ask Dr Grey and the Captain."

"_Admiral; the temple did not have Earth's co-ordinates and trust me when I say it was completely destroyed,"_ said Jean calmly.

Some of the tension seemed to leave the admiral's body.

"So what do we do now?" asked the CAG.

Logan who had been silent throughout looked up. "A recon mission."

They all stared at him in disbelief.

"It's high time we found out what we were dealing with."

Behind the President; Tory Foster suddenly looked at her handheld communicator; a yellow blinking light was come from it. She frowned at it before flipping it open.

She became pale when she realized _who_ was calling.

"_You want to take the Xavier to the co-ordinates that we got?"_asked Jean.

Logan nodded grimly. "It's something that needs to be done; we have to find out what we are dealing with...but arrangements will have to be made..."

"_Laura and I are coming Logan,"_ said Jean firmly to Logan's dismay.

He barely had time to protest before someone else starting speaking.

"Wait, wait! You can't take the Xavier to those co-ordinates!" protested Roslin " they might succeed in taking the ship away from you."

"Madam president; a few minutes ago more than one person indirectly accused Ensign Q of being the reason the cylons found you more than once.

This is the only way to prove you wrong while finding out the current military ability of the cylons and how they are tracking the fleet.

I believe it's a risk worth taking."

Before Roslin could say another word; her PA walked up to her and whispered several words urgently.

The President frowned and looked at her. "What ? Now?! Did you tell them that I was..."

"Yes I did Madam President," interrupted the frazzled PA " they are threatening to...," she glanced hurryingly at Logan.

"To go public with...how the First Contact situation has been handled if you and Vice President Zarek do not come now."

Roslin closed her eyes for one moment as she resisted the strong urge to swear.

She looked at Zarek who nodded angrily. They did not have a choice. She turned to see the rest of the room regarding her quizzically.

"The Quorum have demanded a meeting...Vice president Zarek and I have to attend. We will catch up later."

Logan raised an eyebrow but nodded as the woman left. The Quorum had to be something political...he bet there was some info about them in the files the colonials had given them earlier.

Once the two leaders left; they returned to the matter at hand.

"You don't have to do it alone," added the Admiral " 6 vipers and a few raptors may be helpful."

Logan was already shaking his head. "Thanks for the offer but no. Recon missions are successful with small numbers.

Which brings me to the next part." He looked at Lieutenant Sharon Agathon and Ensign Rogers.

"It may safer if you two remain back with the..."

"Sir; I'm volunteering for this mission," interrupted Sharon " I am the best cylon expert so you will need me."

"Count me in," said Ensign Rogers quickly "I'm a pretty good pilot."

"Permission to take part, Admiral," rapped out Lieutenant Kara Thrace crisply.

Everyone stared in surprise at the three colonial pilots.

Logan opened his mouth to speak.

"_Well this is a pleasant surprise; I think it's a great idea to have Lieutenant Agathon; Lieutenant Thrace and Ensign Rogers,"_ said Jean cheerfully.

Admiral Adama and Logan shared a slightly stunned look.

Ensign Q Junior's covered his eyes with his right hand and those near him could hear him muttering. "This is a disaster."

"_Logan; we're going to need the extra help because we need experts on cylons...since we are going after them."_

The captain of the Xavier looked like he was trying not to explode.

None of them knew if Dr Grey was aware of the confusion her words had caused but she had more questions to ask.

"_By the by...are there going to be any more volunteers ?"_

That was when Logan's face cleared and he knew what was _really_ going on.

He turned to look at Agathon and Starbuck and their very pale expressions confirmed his suspicions.

"Let me guess," started Logan " Junior Lieutenant Anders and Captain Helo Agathon, am I right?"

It was Admiral Adama's turn to glare at his officers.

"Captain Logan; I need to speak to my junior officers."

Everyone knew he wanted to do speak to them alone.

Logan looked at him and nodded. "I need to speak to my crew as well. A few minutes should be _sufficient."_

Q Junior could not help but wince; Logan sounded really ticked off. He was just so glad that he was not the cause of his anger this time.

"_I'll be waiting your call captain,"_ added Jean; sounding very calm.

"Commander Lee will accompany you to...where ever you wish to have a private conversation," said Admiral Adama.

"Much appreciated," Logan said as calmly as he could before he and Q Junior left the room with the silent CAG.

"Ensign Rogers," barked Adama.

"Yes sir !" said the terrified pilot.

"Get Junior Lieutenant Anders and Captain Agathon in here as soon as possible."

"Yes sir!" Rogers cast the other two pilots a sympathetic look before practically running for the door.

Adama turned back to stare at the two colonial officers.

"We'll start when your other halves get here.

You four better have a pretty damn good explanation for _what_ you were about to do."

Pale looking Lieutenant Kara Thrace swallowed before saying.

"Sir; I have no idea what you are talking about."

Adama looked at her as if she had grown an extra head.

"Oh really? Well let's hear what Anders has to say when he gets here."

He looked at Lieutenant Sharon Agathon; she said nothing but the steely look in her eyes said it all.

She was determined to go through with whatever she had planned; no matter the consequences.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Logan barely registered the colonials who scrambled out of his way when they saw his expression of barely controlled anger.

Even the CAG was finding it hard to keep up. Not so Q Junior but he maintained some distance between himself and his irate captain.

Logan had told the CAG in terse words that he wanted to be taken to the delta shuttle.

Once they got to the main flight deck; Logan found himself thinking a bit clearer. Jean must know something he didn't.

That was why she was so eager for three colonials to come on board the Xavier. But this was a huge security risk.

Firstly the crew of the Xavier was only 5 in number and Logan had learnt the hard way not to underestimate what one person could do if he or she was intent on causing havoc.

Then again; anyone would have to be both blind and deaf to not realize that the colonials wanted the Xavier and it's technology.

Any colonial on board the Xavier would definitely have instructions from their superiors to learn what they could.

In Admiral Adama's place; he would give the exact same orders.

His thoughts were interrupted when someone came up to the CAG.

Logan turned to see Q Junior staring at a stocky tall man in oil stained overalls.

He was an exact twin to Tyre Galenius.

They had found the fifth doppelganger.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chief Tyrol had just finished refuelling one of the vipers when the klaxons started blaring. He had gone straight into auto-mode and was helping to prep vipers for flight when they got the all clear a few minutes later.

To his amazement; they heard that the Xavier had already blown up the cylons ships.

In the midst of the loud heartfelt cheering he had received orders to prepare for a jump.

Part of him wondered why they did not stay and fight while the saner part realized that there was only one Xavier and it would be wise to keep it intact until they found other Starfleet vessels.

He couldn't wait for his wife and son to get to Earth.

Despite how the morning's meeting had gone; he was certain that the crew of the Xavier and the Colonial fleet had to be working together towards getting the entire refugee fleet to the Thirteenth Colony.

Which was why he was stunned when an obviously furious Captain Logan stormed into the flight deck with a worried looking CAG and anxious 'hologram' following him.

Without thinking; Galen found himself drifting towards them.

Ensign Q Junior was the first to notice him; he slowed down as a brief look of surprise crossed over his face.

The CAG realized the 'hologram' was now behind him and turned to see what was holding him up.

"Chief; is there a problem?" asked Lee Adama with a frown on his face.

"Not really commander..." Galen paused now wondering why he had walked up to the senior officer "...just wanted to know if you needed any assistance."

The CAG looked irritated but managed a civil tone. "Not at the moment chief."

Galen nodded and turned to round to find Captain Logan staring at him.

For one split second; Galen felt the captain was looking deep into him to find out if he had a soul. The chief could not help but shake his head slightly; as he wondered where that thought had come from.

"And you are?" demanded Logan in a calm tone.

The engineer found himself straightening his spine. "Chief Engineer Galen Tyrol of the Galactica."

Logan's eyes narrowed a bit before answering.

"Any relation to Specialist Cally Tyrol?"

"Yes...she's my wife," said Galen; then his face flushed red as if he had just remembered something. "I...I never got the chance to say thanks to you and Dr Grey for getting her back to us in one piece...so I say thank you."

He timidly struck out his right hand.

Captain Logan appeared a bit stunned by this; however he hesitated only a bit before he briefly shook the engineer's right hand.

"You're welcome."

After that; an awkward silence descended between the four males.

"Well...I best return to work," Galen nodded at Captain Logan, the CAG and even the hologram before quickly making his escape.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The CAG watched the engineer go with a puzzled look in his eyes and turned back to Logan.

To his relief; the fury that had been on the captain's face had been replaced by a thoughtful one.

Logan turned to the commander.

"Thanks for escorting us here; we'll get back to the meeting as soon as I discuss...the situation with my crew."

Lee _really_ wanted to be present when Logan spoke to Dr Grey. He was sure that there was something important that he should know about.

Something that involved Sharon and Starbuck; even his dad had his suspicions; but he knew demanding to be present during Logan's meeting with his crew would only cause animosity.

"You're welcome...I will wait outside your shuttle."

Logan had a wry smile on his face; as if he knew what the CAG had been thinking.

"Of course," he looked at Q Junior and gestured with his head towards the shuttle. The silent hologram was quick to walk towards the ship and open the door.

Lee watched them enter the shuttle. Soon after the door shut; he realized this was the closet he had been to the strange craft.

A small smile appeared on his face; well since he couldn't go _inside_ he might as well inspect the outside of the space-craft.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Logan waited until Q Junior informed him it was safe to speak to Jean. He wanted to be sure that no one _else _was listening into this conversation.

"Alright Jean...what the hell is going on?"

Jean sounded cheerful when she replied. "_We're doing okay over here Logan...thanks for asking."_

Q watched the compress his lips in a tight line before trusting himself to speak.

"Jean...how are you, Laura and Xavier ?"

Aboard the Xavier; the two females exchanged an amused look.

"_We're fine...I know you're pretty upset right now..."_

Logan could not help but snort at that accurate statement.

"_...but hear me out first._

_Lieutenant Agathon is planning to kill herself in order to get on a resurrection ship so that she can rescue her daughter. This option is a last resort if we do not help her._

_Sharon's husband; Kara Thrace and Junior Lieutenant Anders are helping her."_

Why am I not surprised, thought Logan.

"_As for Ensign Rogers...he's a mutant."_

Q Junior's head came up; as his mouth formed a wordless what.

Logan's lower jaw dropped at the last part. "Come again."

"_I used the CMS...he may be an empath with precognitive abilities._

_He's just discovering this and he's very scared by it...he thinks he may be going mad. He will need help."_

Logan was silent for a long time. Memories of Xavier's school for the gifted showed teenagers who had felt so secure about what they were.

All because someone told them they were not freaks.

Logan could imagine how frightened the young man must be.

When he had found himself walking around in the middle of nowhere in 1979; he had no memories of his adamantium claws or his mutant ability of fast healing and extreme speed and strength.

It came to his attention forcefully when some thugs tried to mug him one evening in the nearest town. They had been armed with guns and knives.

By the end of the attack; one man lay dead the others had been seriously injured but managed to escape with their lives while Logan just stood there staring at the metal claws and his rapidly healing wounds.

His mind had registered on two words that the surviving muggers had screamed before running.

_Mutant. Freak._

It did not take long for Logan to find out that the general public disliked mutants.

He had left the town as fast as he could because he knew that even though he had acted in self defense; the authorities may ignore that because he was a mutant and just throw him into jail for the hell of it.

Logan did not cope well in cramped places with metal bars.

After leaving that town; he battled with self doubt and depression because of his obvious loss of memory and his strong wish to get rid of his blades and be normal.

However with time; he eventually accepted what he was and decided to hell with anyone else who thought different.

Going by what Logan had seen on the Galactica; he did not think the colonials might treat the ensign well if they found out he was a mutant.

"Are you sure about Rogers?" he asked carefully.

"_Absolutely"_ said Jean with conviction.

Logan took a deep breath and shared a worried look with Q Junior.

"Okay...he I can understand...why should we help Lieutenant Agathon and her group?"

Jean tried to hide the relief she felt. It sounded like Logan was prepared to be reasonable; she had been expecting him to rant and rave in protest.

"_You want a recon mission...which is a pretty dangerous thing to do but I understand why. _

_Would you not prefer to do it with a group that is least likely to betray or sabotage us?"_

Logan tilted his head. "I see your point...but her main goal is the rescue of a child...who may not be hers. The big risk here is if she tries to take over the Xavier in order to carry out her main mission."

"Not if we show that we will help within reason," said Q Junior to everyone's surprise.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "You support this?"

The boy sighed. "I know this is highly irregular and very risky but consider the long term benefits...we help her and we get an ally. Also this will give us a chance to talk with Junior Lieutenant Anders."

"_Good point,"_ added Laura _"by the by; it looks like we found the 5__th__ twin...Tyre Galenius or should i say Galen Tyrol."_

Logan frowned and nodded. "It appears so...it's just odd that their names are so similar...as if they are not trying to hide."

Q Junior looked at him. " So you think they are the 5 survivors of the Thirteenth Colony who were trying to get to Roslin's people?"

Logan released a sigh of frustration. " I don't know what to believe...except that doing a recon now...may be more important than ever. Something tells me that if we leave it too long...we'll have bigger problems."

"We're really doing this? Taking Sharon and her group on board?" asked Q Junior in surprise.

The captain looked irritated. "Yeah we are...I still don't like it but they may be the best of the lot. Each of us; including Xavier will have to watch them very carefully...the slightest hint of sabotage and they will spend the entire mission in the brig."

"_Agreed,"_ said Laura and Jean at the same time. Q Junior just nodded.

"_But what if the Admiral does not want them on this mission?"_

"Then we just have to convince him," said Logan grimly.

Q Junior looked at the determined look on his face and swallowed anxiously.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

**Hi everyone; here's hoping you had a great Xmas and that the New Year is awesome for everyone. Please read and enjoy and this is my late Xmas gift to you all !**


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine.

_**Cylon controlled space...**_

D'anna's footsteps echoed in the hallway as she walked briskly towards the medical bay.

Even though she understood Caprica's reason for staying beside Hera; it was still very inconvenient to have to meet with the Number six to discuss important issues.

Now that D'anna had limited access to certain parts of the basestar she and Caprica had decided that conversations over the inter-link were risky.

One could never tell who was listening.

The number Three passed 3 grey centurions, she took note of their eye visors and relaxed a little when she saw the red lights were moving as they should.

In a few minutes she reached the medical bay; straight away she realized something was wrong.

The two golden centurions were gone.

D'anna's hand went to her side and she swore silently when she realized she was not carrying a sidearm.

Why should she? She was on a basestar, she should be safe.

She hesitated slightly before cautiously approaching the automatic doors. As she neared the doors, it slid open.

"Hello," called D'anna tentatively.

There was no answer.

With her heart beating faster, she stepped into the room and came face to face with the business end of a sidearm.

It took seconds before it registered who was holding the weapon.

"Good God D'anna! I almost shot you!" said Caprica in annoyance.

D'anna felt dizzy as she placed her hand on the left side of her chest. She could definitely feel her heart pounding away.

"I called ! No one answered!"

She looked around to see Boomer hiding behind a cabinet with a restless Hera in her arms. It looked like she had just woken up.

"Well next time state who you are!" Caprica placed her weapon on a nearby seat "in fact we need to work on a codeword of some sort...mimicking voices can be easily done."

D'anna raised an eyebrow at that statement before asking the question on her mind. "Where are the centurions?"

The six sighed wearily. " I have no idea...one moment they were there. Then I stepped out for a moment to find them gone. I was hoping you may know something."

D'anna shook her head. "If it's about the centurions...I have heard nothing.

However I know that Aaron is seriously working on increasing the nuclear yield...and Cavil may be helping him."

Caprica frowned. "How sure are you of this?"

"I met a very irate Leoben half an hour ago.

He said all Aaron was interested in was in making our nukes more destructive and Cavil seemed eager to help him."

"Did he actually hear what they were planning...or was he just airing his thoughts ?" said Boomer in a sarcastic tone.

Caprica smiled dryly. "Yeah; that sounds like Leoben."

D'anna sighed. " I don't know...but what I'm more worried about is what's happening on this basestar. I cannot seem to get hold of Cavil to ask him why our codes have been limited."

"You have tried to see him in person?" asked Caprica in a surprised tone.

"Of course not; I'm not that eager to be resurrected Six," said D'anna sharply.

"I have tried linking up to him via the inter-link but he is refusing to answer. I think he wants me to find him."

"On his own terms...that will not be wise," said Caprica.

D'anna bit back the retort that she was tempted to utter.

"I know that," she said carefully " but how else are we going to find out what is going on ? Pardon me if I don't see how hiding in an easily accessible medical bay is going to improve our current position."

"And what position is that?" asked Boomer as she tried to calm an irritable wriggling Hera. "If we keep our heads down Cavil may just ignore us."

The other two female cylons stared at her in disbelief.

"Boomer, are you stupid or just pretending to be?" asked Caprica in a cutting tone "Cavil _never _forgets anything or anyone! Right now he has us isolated with hardly any access to other parts of the basestar.

The only reason he has not moved against us is because he has bigger problems to worry about."

D'anna could not help but nod in agreement. Cavil was hades-bent on capturing or destroying the Xavier. She felt that subduing the ship of the Thirteenth Tribe was important; but she feared that the way in which Cavil would do so may also result in the destruction of the cylons.

Her thoughts returned to the present when Hera began to wail.

"What's wrong?" asked Caprica with a concerned look on her face.

Boomer tried to place the crying baby on the bed to examined her. "I'm not sure...but now she's running a temperature."

D'anna approached the bed quickly. "Can you not tell what is wrong with her?"

The Number Eight looked more distressed. " As I have said in the past; I have no experience in treating children. I have listened to her chest and looked at the back of her throat.

There is no obvious sign of infection."

"But she has a temperature, the last time I checked that meant an infection," pointed out Caprica.

Boomer glared at her. "Do you think I have not considered that? We have never had a half cylon child before! I have nothing to compare with.

What the frak do you want me to do?!"

D'anna could not help frowning. "Just keep her alive Boomer, also try not to swear in front of her."

Boomer stared at her in disbelief. Her expression stated swearing in front of a child was the least of their problems.

The Number three ignored her. Her main concern was that everyone, including Hera was running out of time.

But she had no idea what to do to protect them.

May God help them all.

_**The Galactica, en route to the mess hall...**_

Soon after leaving the admiral's office; Rogers placed a few calls and found out where the two senior officers were.

The ensign tried to compose his thoughts as he set out to find them.

Admiral Adama and Captain Logan were very angry; they clearly suspected Lieutenant Sharon Agathon and Lieutenant Kara Thrace of...something.

And try as he could, Rogers could not fathom what that could be.

What he did know was that; everyone was uneasy about Ensign Q Junior.

For very obvious reasons, he was a walking talking and _sentient_ computer program. The only difference between him and the cylons was that he was not made out of flesh and blood.

He was a hologram from Earth.

The few that knew what he was were still finding it very hard to accept that his existence was possible and almost all of them viewed him as a huge risk.

Which was why most felt that the hologram had led to the discovery of the fleet.

But how did Rogers feel?

Q Junior had healed the wounded colonials on the raptor, he had defended Laura when her life had been threatened, he had actually been more diplomatic than his captain on the first official meeting and he had healed Rogers while making sure to treat him with every courtesy.

In summary, Q Junior had behaved honourably.

Deep in his heart, Rogers did not think he was a danger.

But something told him that certain members of senior command and the presidential cabinet had already made up their minds.

And he did not think it was in the hologram's favour.

Captain Logan clearly knew this; which was why he was asking...no scratch that...**demanding** for a recon in cylon controlled space!

On a normal day, anyone would consider that a suicide mission.

But normal days were long behind them, the fleet had found the Thirteenth Tribe and Rogers firmly believed that the Xavier could go into cylon controlled space and come back intact.

He just prayed he got to be part of that mission.

Rogers had a very strong feeling that he_ had _to be on that ship.

The ensign's mind returned to the present when he reached the mess hall; it did not take long before he saw the two officers.

They were standing in a corner and drinking what passed for kaffa; it was not pleasant but definitely kept one awake and alert for short periods.

As he neared them; the two men stopped talking and looked straight at him; the expressions on their faces seemed to indicate that he had some news for them.

News that meant trouble.

Roger swallowed nervously. "Junior Lieutenant Anders, Captain Agathon...the Admiral requests your presence." His voice was low enough that only the two officers heard him.

The two men stared at him for a while before sharing a resigned look.

Anders turned back to him.

"Lead the way Rogers."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Admiral Adama was angry...in fact he was more than that.

What the frak had these two been planning?

Did they think that he would not know about it?

Did he look stupid to them?

Adama took several breathes to calm himself down; first he was going to find out what was _really _going on.

Then he was going to toss them all into the brig for a long time!

"Lieutenant Kara Thrace," he started in a neutral voice.

He watched her turn pale before she straightened her spine.

"Yes sir!"

"Once again; I demand to know what exactly is going on ?!"

Kara swallowed before answering. "We wish to help with the recon sir!"

Adama raised an eye brow. "Is that all? There isn't a rescue of a child planned?!"

He was watching Sharon's face and saw a flicker of emotion; then it was gone.

"Sir...we wish to help with the recon sir!" repeated Kara.

Adama walked straight up to her and leaned in until he was close to her face. "You didn't answer my question Lieutenant!"

To her credit; Kara did not flinch.

"I answered it to the best of my ability sir!" she all but yelled the answer back at him.

Adama leaned back and stared at the two women; this was going to be harder than he realized.

At that moment, there was a tentative knock at the door.

A silent Junior Lieutenant Gaeta looked at the Admiral who nodded.

Gaeta opened the door; then stepped back when he saw who it was.

Ensign Rogers was back with the two officers Adama had sent for.

Junior Lieutenant Anders and Captain Agathon took one look at the Admiral and went very pale.

"Sir," they both chorused.

"So good of you to join us," said Adama in acid tones.

Without a further word; the two officers moved to stand beside their wives.

"Now that we have you four here...will one of you explain what the frak is going on?"

He noted the look of shock on Rogers face; suddenly realizing the ensign was still in the room.

"Ensign Rogers; you do not have to be here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roger stared at the Admiral; he had never in the 2 years he had been on the Galactica heard the legend swear.

For the XO; that was an everyday occurrence; the day he didn't swear told you something was really wrong.

He suddenly registered what the Admiral was saying and realized the senior officer wanted him to leave the room.

Without thinking; Roger found himself trying to project the feeling that he needed to be present at this dressing down.

Roger's instinct was telling him this was the _wrong _time to leave.

"Admiral...requesting permission to stay."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Adama stared at the young ensign for an eternity; he opened his mouth with the intent to tell him to leave...then he hesitated.

The admiral did not like dressing down officers in-front of other officers...especially junior ones.

Other senior officers thought otherwise, feeling that making an example of an insubordinate officer aided in instilling discipline in the ranks.

However, part of Adama was wondering if it was better for the junior officer to be present.

"Fine." He ignored the look on relief on Roger's face and turned back to the 4 officers before him.

"I'm still waiting for an answer...Junior Lieutenant Anders and Captain Agathon."

The two men looked straight ahead.

Anders spoke first. " I have no idea what is happening sir!"

Adama sighed. " Of course...how silly of me to not explain what you four morons are accused of."

Helo winced at the acidity in the Admiral's voice.

"It looks like four of you intend to volunteer for a rescue mission...which would most likely involve the Xavier!

May I remind you that a mission could endanger the safety of the fleet and lead to the capture of the Xavier!?"

There was silence for several moments; then Helo cleared his throat.

Adama glared at him. "Captain Agathon...do you have something to say?!"

"Yes sir...permission to speak freely sir?"

The admiral stared at him. "Speak captain."

"Is there any evidence that we have plans to do so ? If not ; then in a military court of law...this is all conjecture."

Gaeta gasped in shock; while Rogers was staring at the captain as if he had sprouted wings.

Adama could not help but admire the boldness and intelligence of the officer before him.

He could not even throw Helo in the brig for insubordination because he had given the man leave to speak; then again he was right.

Without proof, there was no clear indication that the four before him were planning a rescue mission.

But he knew; because if it had been Lee who was held by the cylons...he would be the first in line to try and rescue him despite the risk to the entire fleet.

"I see...so this is how it's going to be," said Adama in a deadly calm voice.

Even Sharon looked worried at that point.

Adama may not be able to put them in the brig but he could sure as Hades re-assign them to the murkiest jobs in the fleet as a substitute punishment.

Another loud knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Adama frowned and nodded at Gaeta to check on who it was,

The officer opened the door and quickly moved back to allow 3 people into the room.

Captain Logan, Ensign Q and the CAG were back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Earlier on as Lee waited outside the Starfleet shuttle; he had tried to examine the outside. He wished he had a portable scanner to see what the hull was made of.

He could not make out if it had any cannons or guns like a viper and he wondered if it carried the equivalent of 'nukes' or whatever missile the Xavier had used to blow up the basestar.

Clearly it was like nothing he had ever seen; the hull was smooth and looked polished. He wondered if it was new or if that was how the alloy was supposed to look.

Lee tried not to go near the front of the shuttle; so as to reduce the risk of being seen by the occupants of the strange ship.

One thing was certain; they had to get someone onto the Xavier to find out how it worked.

Lee almost missed the slight hissing sound and he turned just in time to see the shuttle door slid open.

The CAG quickly stood up straight and moved closer to the door.

Captain Logan was the first out and he had a knowing look in his eyes.

"Had a good look around the shuttle commander?" he asked bluntly.

Lee felt his face heat up. "You have a very interesting ship."

Logan nodded; acknowledging that the CAG was not going to deny or confirm that he had been snooping around.

"We're ready to go back to the Admiral now."

Lee stared at him and the silent observant expressionless hologram.

The man from Earth also had a blank expression on his face. That could mean anything, Lee just hoped whatever the outcome; the refugee fleet was not about to be abandoned.

The CAG tried to keep his voice calm. "If you two would please follow me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The walk back had been completely silent and crew got out of their path quickly when they saw the serious expressions on their faces. It was not long before they got to the Admiral's office.

Once inside, Lee Adama took one look at the 4 officers in the middle of the now crowded office and realized they had returned in the middle of a reprimand.

He had his suspicions what had brought this on.

On the way to the flight deck he had suspected that Sharon and Starbuck were working together to try and get Hera back from the cylons.

He just wondered if they were so sure the child had escaped from New Caprica.

Anyway he agreed with his father...a rescue attempt would be too risky.

Lee turned to see Ensign Q Junior had assumed a position beside Rogers who he acknowledged with a silent nod, while Captain Logan was watching the four assembled officers with a wary look in his eyes.

The fact that the captain of the Xavier saw the colonials as potential enemies worried the CAG. He knew these colonials and was certain that their loyalty to the fleet was not in doubt.

But the crew of the Xavier were of the Thirteenth Tribe and might consider the fleet to be more trouble that it was worth especially with the cylons in pursuit.

Lee suddenly found himself praying to the Gods for a favourable outcome.

Captain Logan turned to the senior Adama.

"Admiral...I apologize if I am interrupting anything but I believe time is of the essence so we...both have to make some quick decisions."

Admiral Adama frowned. "Please explain."

Logan chose his words with care. "We just completed a conference call with Dr Grey and my daughter."

A frown appeared on Lee's face. He had included his daughter in the conversation? She could not be more than 13 years old...she was just a child !

Logan was still speaking.

"The recon mission is still very important and will be started as soon as possible...with or without your assistance."

Adama's frown deepened. He could read between the lines...Logan was willing to negotiate but he had a funny feeling what was coming next.

He did not have to wait long.

"However...due to general consensus...having a few colonial officers who have experience in fighting the cylons would be a bonus.

There are only a few that we would _accept_ for this crucial mission."

Lee's frown deepened; his expression almost mirrored the look on his father's face.

Everyone in the room silently watched the Admiral and the Captain of the Xavier.

"Who did you have in mind?" asked Adama in a neutral voice.

Logan glanced at the colonial officers standing at attention in front of the Admiral.

"Lieutenant Agathon...her intel may be months old but it's better than nothing at all.

Lieutenant Kara Thrace...she's a fighter but has been on the Xavier before and knows not to cross the line."

Lee tried not to snort in disbelief.

Anyone smart that met Kara, identified her as a person who had authority issues. The only person who had been able to keep her inline was his father and usually with some degree of difficulty

Logan kept speaking.

"Captain Helo Agathon and Junior Lieutenant Anders...one of them tried to protect my crew when they were on the Galactica and the second one prevented a certain person from attempting to nuke the Xavier."

Lee felt his face heat up as he felt everyone look at him.

As for Rogers he was trying and failing to hide his disappointment at not being called.

But Logan was not done.

"And last but not least...Ensign Bill Rogers...he's the most diplomatic."

Rogers' expression turned to one of hope, then he looked at the Admiral who now had a blank look on his face.

But would the Admiral agree?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan maintained eye contact with the Admiral as he awaited his decision.

He knew he was not making things easy for the senior colonial officer but that was not Logan's problem.

From the time he agreed to help the colonials; he knew it was going to be a difficult ride and he was sure it was only going to get worse.

Suspicion and paranoia was rife in the fleet...starting from the very top.

That was most likely due to their disastrous war with the cylons; however he was not particularly interested in who was right or wrong.

He had agreed to help them, that was more than enough...but in order to get to Earth they had to do things his way.

Whether they liked it or not.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Adama stared at the man before him.

He could tell that Captain Logan was not going to back down.

The Xavier would carry out this recon mission...with or without fleet support.

Adama wondered if Logan really knew why Sharon was going on this mission...he felt the captain had to have an inkling of her real plan.

If so, why was he going along with it?

What did the crew of the Xavier have to gain ?

There was no doubt that the recon mission was going to be very dangerous...and also highly necessary.

Until they knew _how _the fleet was being tracked by the cylons; they were all in danger.

Adama broke eye contact to look at the 5 officers that Logan had _suggested_ for the meeting.

They were not his first choice for the basic fact that he was really upset with 4 of them for very obvious reasons and that the most junior of them did not have enough experience for a high level recon mission.

But Adama was smart enough to know that he had lost this round; now it was time to regroup and adapt tactics.

"Fine...if they are willing...they may accompany you."

Sharon and the 3 officers with her could not hide their relief and trepidation.

Rogers closed his eyes as he silently whispered a prayer of thanks to the Lords of Kobol. Beside him; Ensign Q Junior looked at him with an expression close to a frown.

Logan narrowed his eyes for a few seconds. He had clearly not expected the Admiral to give in so quickly. He had expected a long drawn out argument that no one had time for.

"However...I need to discuss with them in private for a couple of minutes," continued Adama.

Logan nodded. "Of course...we'll wait outside...with whoever."

The Admiral looked at Gaeta and nodded.

A discreet cough from the silent hologram had everyone turning to him. He had raised his right hand as well.

"Em...Admiral Adama; do you mind if I inform Dr Cottle that I will not be returning to the medical bay? He had wanted me to partake in a ward round and a few clinics."

Adama stared at him for a few moments. "Junior Lieutenant Gaeta will help you in relaying that message..." he saw the expectant expression still on Q Junior's face.

"Anything else?"

"Yes...the grav units I used to transport the files...I would like them back please."

The CAG frowned. "Why?" he asked in an accusatory tone.

Q Junior gave him a relaxed smile. "Because; first of all it is Starfleet technology and should not be left with you and second I doubt you want it left with you since you're already convinced that the Xavier led the cylons to you."

He paused to let the words sink in.

"...so when the cylons _do _turn up in the absence of the Xavier or any of it's technology...you'll realize we were telling the truth."

Lee stared at the hologram with barely disguised shock.

Even though Ensign Q Junior spoke with a pleasant smile, the expression could not hide the anger in it's eyes.

Captain Logan had a wry smile on his face.

"Excellent idea Junior," Logan looked at the two Adamas "I trust returning our stuff will not be a problem."

The tone of his voice suggested that it had better not be a problem.

"No...Gaeta will see to that as well," said Admiral Adama slowly.

"Now... let's wait outside." The captain of the Xavier left with his ensign and a nervous looking Gaeta.

Adama stared at the door for several moments before turning back to face the silent colonial officers before him

The CAG also pinned them with his steely gaze. Ensign Rogers looked scared and uncertain.

The senior Adama looked at each of them.

"I'm not going to waste time by stating how each of you before me...would have jeopardized the safety of this fleet if events had turned out differently."

His hard tone made Rogers swallow nervously; even though he knew he had nothing to do with whatever the other had planned he could tell the Admiral was still livid. He glanced quickly at the others and saw that apart from exceedingly pale complexions; their features were neutral.

He could not help but admire their control.

Adama was still speaking.

"I also do not have to explain or stress upon the responsibility you have to each and every member of the fleet.

A responsibility that you will keep at the front and back of your mind on this recon mission."

Adama paused.

"While on the Xavier...your other duty is to learn all you can about Xavier, Earth, it's defences and allies...while trying not to step on Captain Logan's toes.

Because I'm sure he will not hesitate to throw you into the brig if you frak this up!"

His last words were delivered with a slightly louder voice; it was not exactly a shout but it caused more than one person to flinch.

"Is that understood?"

"Yes sir !" yelled the five selected colonial officers.

The Admiral looked at each of them for several seconds.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

There was silence for a while before someone spoke up.

"I have a question Admiral."

Admiral Adama turned to look at his son. He had expected this...he would have been more than a little worried if Lee did not say something.

" You may."

"Five officers is not enough...can we not add more...experienced personnel ?"

Admiral Adama made himself relax a little; for a second he was sure his son was going to state that he did not support his decision to allow the 5 colonials go on this mission.

"I get the impression Commander...that Captain Logan will not allow us to exceed the number of crew of his ship."

"Sir..." called Helo tentatively "do you think he's got only 5 crew on his ship?"

Admiral Adama glared at him before answering. "It's a calculated guess...one that you will _have _confirm when you get on board the Xavier."

Helo tried to answer calmly. "Yes sir."

"Also sir...are we going to tell the President?" asked the CAG quietly.

The Admiral was silent for a while. He was sure that if Roslin and Zarek had been present; they would have objected to the mission.

Thanks the Gods for the Quorum's impeccable timing.

"We will...eventually."

Roger's eyes narrowed and he shared a quick glance with Anders who was standing closet to him.

Did eventually mean after the Xavier left ?

"Rogers," called Admiral Adama.

The ensign looked at him; a bit startled at having his name called. "Yes sir."

"Tell Captain Logan and the others to come in for the rest of the meeting."

"Yes sir," said the ensign before heading to the door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Logan kept quiet as Q Junior spoke to Dr Cottle.

Once they left the office; Gaeta offered to call the doctor by using his personal communicator.

It had not taken long to contact the medical bay and Gaeta quickly handed the phone over to Q Junior to speak into.

"I'm really sorry sir...but I will be unable to attend the wardround..." there was silence as Q Junior listened to the doctor's question.

"I'm afraid I cannot explain why...you will have to discuss it with the Admiral. I also cannot say when next I will be available...that will also depend on the Admiral."

Logan's keen hearing picked up a disgruntled snort on the other end of the phone.

"Yes sir...I will endeavour to continue that discussion the next time I am on the Galactica...you're welcome sir." Q Junior handed the phone back to Gaeta who started dialling another number.

"Let me guess...Dr Cottle was not happy ," said Logan.

The ensign shrugged. " Can't be helped Captain...he's definitely going to take it up with the Admiral."

Logan could not help but grin. "Wish I could be here to see that."

He noticed Gaeta was trying to keep a wary eye on them while speaking to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

It looked like the grav-units were being brought up as they spoke...after being looked over of course.

Logan couldn't care less; even though he saw the reason for having the moving equipment returned ,he had more important things to worry about.

And he also had the uncanny feeling that he was running out of time.

The sound of the door opening drew his attention as an anxious looking Ensign Rogers emerged from the office.

"Admiral Adama would like you to return now please."

Logan shared a glance with Q Junior. That had been quick.

Obviously Adama was also keen to get the show on the road.

"Would be glad to," said Logan calmly as he went back into the office with Ensign Rogers, Q Junior and Gaeta.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first thing Logan did when he re-entered the Admiral's office was to check to see if Lieutenant Agathon and her crew were still in one piece.

Yep. They looked shaken and a bit pale; but relatively intact.

He wondered if they would still be in one piece at the end of the recon mission.

Logan turned to face the Admiral.

The senior Adama spoke first. "How soon are you setting out and what can you tell me of the mission?"

Straight to the point thought Logan, this man did not like to waste time.

"Not much I'm afraid," Logan glanced at Sharon " what we do depends on her intel and the cylons locations.

What I can tell you is that the cylons are roughly eight and a half hours away if we leave at once at maximum warp.

The goal is to find out how they are tracking the colonial fleet; their defense and offense capabilities...and what they know about Earth."

Adama stared at him for a few seconds. "I presume maximum 'warp' is your version of FTL...is it?"

Logan looked at Q Junior. "Ah...that will be Junior's department."

The hologram looked a bit nervous as he stepped forward.

"Captain Logan is right...it will take exactly 8 hours 34 minutes and 19 seconds to get to the cylon's location...that is if we leave at maximum warp which is 9.97."

"How fast is warp 9.97?" asked Starbuck with an intent look on her face.

Q Junior looked a bit uncomfortable as he answered carefully.

"Em...the speed of light is 299,792, 458 metres per second...that is if you use the metric system.

Anyway...warp 4.8 is one hundred and eleven times the speed of light."

Everyone apart from Logan looked at him with stunned expressions.

"...so warp 9.97 is almost double that...which is huge."

They were still silent.

Logan had a small smile on his face. "Q...I think they get the picture.

However, due to us knowing virtually nothing about the cylons..." apart from the fact they want to kill all humans thought Logan silently "...we will set off at warp 4.8."

That caught Admiral's Adama's attention but it was Sharon who asked the question on everyone's minds.

"Why not maximum warp?"

Logan just looked at her. "We go in fast and virtually blind with no preparation whatsoever and I promise you that most of us will not make it back alive."

That grim announcement shut her up.

Inwardly Admiral Adama agreed with him but he had certain questions that needed to be answered.

"Will you at least consider two vipers accompanying you ? They may come in handy."

Logan had a frown on his face as he thought for a few moments. "Fine...but it will be piloted by 2 pilots from the five in this room. I'm not taking more than 5 colonials on board the Xavier."

"Understood," said Admiral Adama gravely as his son's expression turned to an obvious frown. But the senior officer was not done yet.

"Now...what about after the recon mission? How do we meet? To be honest with you...this is akin to a suicide mission...giving you rendezvous co-ordinates will be a huge risk."

Lee Adama raised his head at that; he agreed with his father completely and didn't care if Captain Logan saw differently.

To his astonishment, the member of the Thirteenth Tribe actually smiled.

"I accept...that is why you will not be giving us the co-ordinates."

"What?" asked Helo softly as other voiced their concerns.

Logan continued speaking. "We won't need the new co-ordinates; as I'm sure you will not be staying in any one place for long until we meet again.

The Xavier will be able to track you...I'll let Q Junior explain this bit."

He looked at the hologram before anyone could say a word.

Q Junior cleared his throat before answering.

"The Xavier was able to track you using different sensors...due to Starfleet regulations I cannot go into detailed explanations.

What I can tell you is that when your ships execute a jump...this sends signals in subspace that are detected by sensors that I placed in this sector of space when I was on my way to pick up Captain Logan, Dr Grey and the others."

Q Junior gave them time to absorb this as he prepared his next words. Before coming back to the office he and Logan had discussed with Dr Grey and Laura about how much to tell them about ' Xavier's ' tracking abilities.

The general consensus was to definitely keep the Cerebra Monitoring System ( CMS) secret and to emphasize on the subspace 'disturbance' caused by the 'jumps.

Q Junior was not lying...those jumps did disrupt subspace and the colonials' ships use of Tylium left a detectable and traceable radioactive signature that would in all honesty take a lot longer to track then using the CMS to track the minds in the fleet.

The CAG asked a question before Q Junior could continue.

"You placed these sensors...exactly how long ago?"

Q Junior looked a bit wary. "Exactly 3 months and 2 days ago."

"The cylons could have hacked into these sensors," pointed out Lee Adama.

Q Junior actually looked irritated at that suggestion. "Highly unlikely...to access those sensors one needs complex codes that I created and also I'm certain the sensors have not been detected or hacked into."

"How sure are you of this?" asked Admiral Adama.

Q Junior actually answered in a very confident manner. "Very sure sir, because any attempt to hack into these sensors will set off an autodestruct sequence.

I have kept watch over the sensors and so far they are all accounted for."

Logan was watching the Admiral closely and saw that Q's explanation was actually making him more worried.

Apparently the thought of sensors that could self destruct was something to be concerned about.

"We intend to leave this region of space soon...I think we have been here long enough," said Logan calmly.

He saw Lee Adama's face tighten; Logan was sure the younger Adama was blaming the Xavier for their present predicament.

Logan once again did not give a damn what the officer thought, right now his main goal was to go after the cylons and find out what the hell they were dealing with.

"I am curious though...when are you going to tell the President?" asked Logan. The silence that greeted his question was a good enough answer.

He nodded. "Fair enough."

Admiral Adama stared at him; obviously the man had not fully recovered from the fact that 5 of his colonial officers were going on a mission he was not keen about.

Logan decided it was time to spring another surprise on the senior officer.

"However...there is one more thing."

Admiral Adama raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

The captain of the Xavier took a deep breath as if he had finally made a difficult decision.

"Admiral Adama...I need to speak to you alone."

The Admiral's eyes widened slightly.

"Hades no!" started Lee Adama without thinking.

Logan ignored him and maintained eye contact with the Admiral.

Admiral Adama stared back for several moments as his son stated that there was no way in Hades that they were leaving them alone.

"Commander Adama," barked the Admiral. His son shut up at once.

"Take everyone outside now."

"But..." started Lee. The Admiral turned a steely gaze in his direction which silenced him.

"As you wish Admiral," said a shocked Lee. He turned to the stunned watching silent colonial officers and motioned them out of the room.

Logan turned to Q Junior and held out his right hand. The hologram placed a folded piece of paper in it. He looked at Logan with a concerned expression.

"Wait outside Q...we will be fine," said Logan in a reassuring manner.

Q Junior looked at the silent expressionless Admiral before leaving the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Admiral Adama was stunned when Logan asked to see him alone.

The first question was why.

He could understand his son's concern but the captain of the Xavier looked like he had made a very difficult decision to tell the Admiral something.

Something very important.

"Take everyone outside now," ordered the Admiral. He cut off his son's word of protest with a cold glare.

As the colonials filed out of the room; Adama was a bit amused to see the concerned look on the hologram's face before he too left the room.

Did the ensign think that he, an old Admiral was going to harm the captain of the Xavier?

A man who had metal claws bond to his arms ?

The door closed ; then after a few moments Adama turned to face Captain Logan. Both men stared at each other for moments.

"I see you have something on your mind Captain," said Adama carefully.

The man before him was holding on to the piece of paper in his right hand tightly; then he seemed to let himself relax and he slowly held his hand out.

"Admiral Adama...I need to ask you this. Is it possible that there may be spies amongst your fleet?"

The direct question and the way it was politely worded took the Admiral by surprise. It took a while before he could find the words to say.

In the end ; he said the truth. "I'm not sure."

Logan's lips tightened in a thin line and he bit his lower lip as if trying not to swear. Finally he trusted himself to speak.

"This...is for you."

Adama looked at Logan's hand for a while before taking the innocuous looking document.

He unfolded it to see a series of numbers.

Adama blinked several times , then re-read it twice more.

"Is this...is this...?" he found he could not say it.

"Co-ordinates...but not to Earth. They are for a Starbase 21; a Federation outpost which is at least 6 weeks from Earth at maximum warp."

Adama's elation at what he thought it was fell ; then rose again.

A Federation base would be fully equipped and possibly more than able to take on the cylon fleet as well as protect the colonials.

"Why?" asked Adama as he refolded the now highly valuable piece of paper.

"Plan B, in case we don't make it back.

Admiral...we both know that we may not make it back, but we sure as hell are going to try."

Adama looked once more at the piece of paper in his hands.

"You're giving me this...even though there may be spies in our fleet?"

Logan shrugged. "Who knows ? Maybe I'm wrong...but if I'm right, keeping those co-ordinates secret will be your main goal.

It's not just you who is at risk anymore...I am also risking the safety of Earth."

Adama nodded slowly at the captain's solemn words.

"Is there anything else you wish to tell me?"

Logan sighed. "We might take 16hrs to get to the cylons; but we will definitely get back the fastest way possible...if we do not meet up with you in 36hours. Then we are either dead or captured."

Adama tried not to flinch at his words; but he could not deny the reality of what they were facing.

"Admiral, let's get the rest of them in before your CAG thinks the worst," said Logan dryly.

Adama could not help but smile back. He tucked the piece of paper into his breast pocket.

He strode to the door to find the CAG was right up next to it.

The frustrated look on his face showed that he had hardly heard anything; he opened his mouth to speak.

"Later," said Adama with steel in his voice, then he looked at the others who were standing down the corridor.

"Come in people, we have plans to make."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**Colonial One...**_

Roslin tried not to grit her teeth as the representative from Gemenon described in detail how he felt the president and vice president of the colonies had failed in their endeavour to return the crew of the Thirteenth Tribe to the fold.

From the moment she, Zarek and Tory walked in they had been verbally attacked.

Most of the Quorum were actually nodding as the idiot preached about spiritual purity and the need to show the Thirteenth Tribe the error of their ways.

The president glanced sideways to see Zarek staring at the Gemenon representative with a murderous glint in his eyes.

She didn't blame him; at the moment if there was a weapon nearby she did not trust herself not to use it upon most of the delegates in the room.

Utter complete fools.

How stupid were they? Their main concern should be the fact that the cylons had tracked them and here they were worrying about religion?

Captain Logan had been right, this was hardly the time for a theological argument.

Roslin let them speak; she wanted them to get the anger and hopefully the stupidity out of their system before she explained to them why they were so wrong.

But two delegates watched her closely and silently.

John Cantrell of Sagittaron and Dahlia of Tauron sat side by side and watched her with very thoughtful expressions.

They saw to the heart of the matter, but they were hardly allies.

"Ms President; how did the cylons track us?" asked Dahlia when the representative paused in his speech to take a sip of water.

Everyone turned to face the president at that question.

Roslin answered calmly. "We don't know, however the Admiral is looking into it."

John and Dahlia stared a silent look as the delegates began to shout questions at the president and vice president.

"What do you mean by you don't know?"

"Are we again at risk?"

"What does the Xavier have to say about this ? Can they not get more of their people here to help?"

Roslin held up a hand and the voices died down.

"Captain Logan has informed us that we are about 4 or 5 months from Earth's territories. I am not sure if he has informed them of our existence..."

"Why hasn't he?" interrupted John "Is it because we are too far from Earth...besides I have not heard of a technology that can transmit that far."

The delegates around him murmured their agreement.

Zarek decided to answer at this point.

"As you have seen from the most recent battle; the technology of the Thirteenth Tribe is more advanced than that of the colonies.

However we are unable to assess how advanced...but we will in time. I am happy to inform you that Captain Logan has agreed to two of our colonial officers acting as representatives of the fleet aboard the Xavier."

The murmurs this time were those of amazement.

Roslin found herself sighing inwardly. Once again Zarek made himself appear as the shining knight who had saved the fleet.

Though that was annoying; Roslin was grateful for the reprieve.

She tried to relax as the delegates began to ask Zarek more questions about the latest meeting.

As Roslin watched; she noticed one of the aides for the Sagitarron delegate was on her hand held communicator and she looked very distressed.

The woman walked over to John Cantrell and whispered urgently into his right ear. The man looked at her for several moments before turning to face Zarek with a look of anger on his face.

"Mr Vice president," cut in John "could you and the president please explain to us why the Xavier and two vipers just jumped without the fleet ?"

There was dead silence at this question.

Roslin and Zarek shared a startled look.

What had Adama done?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

**Hi everyone; so sorry about the wait. Weather this month has been something else! Rain, ice and snow! You name it.**

**Hope you are all keeping well, hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please read and enjoy.**

**Have a great week people!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of the Phoenix and the Wolverine

_**The Romulan-Neutral border; USS Dunkirk, Ten Forward...**_

Lieutenant Commander Telev Shran entered the mess and headed straight for the bar. He needed something to drink.

He had just had a conversation with his counter-part of the Romulan Warbird Decius.

Speaking while choosing one's expression and words with care was a tiring task.

Especially when dealing with secretive Romulans.

He would rather beam into a black hole; now _that _was something he understood.

Shran accepted his drink with a grateful smile and turned to look for a table to sit at. It was not long before he spotted one familiar face.

Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti was sitting on her own; she looked a bit anxious and was sipping her drink while looking several times at the entrance to the mess.

Shran frowned; was she eagerly awaiting someone...or dreading someone's presence ?

The andorian was worried it was the latter. It took a few seconds before he made his decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Oma; mind if I sit here?"

The ensign almost jumped at the sound of the tactical officer's voice.

"Eh sure Telev; please take a seat."

He looked at her as he sat down.

"Oma...are you alright?"

She stared at him. "Of course I am...why do you ask?"

Telev narrowed his eyes at her slightly high pitched voice. "Maybe because of the high pitch of your voice or the fact that you are checking the main exit of Ten Forward. You look ready to bolt."

The andorian watched as a series of expressions crossed her face; then she sighed.

"Is it that obvious ?"

Telev nodded. "I presume this has something to do with a certain klingon captain."

Oma winced and looked into her drink. "Maybe."

The senior officer's hand froze for a second before he took another sip of his drink. "I'm going to need to speak to Captain Singh."

Oma's head shot up. " No!," she lowered her voice when she noticed two officers at a nearby table looked up at the sound of her voice.

"No Telev...I really appreciate your concern and your offer to help.

But if I do not handle this myself; I will bring shame to my mother's house."

The senior officer frowned. "Oma; if he is harassing you..."

"It's not really harassment...that I can handle. It's much worse."

Telev raised an antennae. "Worse? Please explain."

Oma bit her lower lip. "This is so embarrassing...I think he's courting me."

Telev opened his mouth; then closed it in surprise.

"Oh yeah; that was exactly what I felt when he started sending messages, before I _ran_ into him again on the corridor. He's being very civil."

The andorian felt himself blushing as he tried to ask the question that was at the tip of his tongue.

Fortunately for him; it appeared that Oma knew what was on his mind.

"And no, I am not attracted to him...it's just that how do I say that without causing a war between the Federation and the Klingon empire ?"

There was silence for several seconds.

"Oma, now I understand why you wish to handle this on your own.

But from personal experience...its best you tell him early before he starts getting ideas that maybe you are interested in him."

"I know but...," her voice trailed off when she saw who was at the door. Telev looked up to see Cassius and Shila entering

"Telev; please don't tell them or anyone."

He glanced at her. "Okay I won't; but if it's getting out of hand you need to tell me...is that understood?"

Oma turned to Telev, he looked very solemn. "Yes sir...I will."

The andorian nodded before plastering a smile on his face as their friends approached their table.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**Captain's ready room...**_

Oma walked into the conference room and the whooshing noise and the blur informed her that Cassius was already in the room.

He reduced his speed so that she could see he was setting up the holo-screen.

"About time you got here," he said with a nervous grin on his face.

Oma smiled wryly. "Calm down buddy; we've got at least 90 minutes before the meeting."

Cassius' grin disappeared. "Didn't you get the message ? It was brought forward by an hour."

"Why?" asked a surprised Oma.

"Because the Romulans were demanding results and one of the Tal Shiar wants to attend."

"What?" exclaimed the female ensign.

"Why do you think I'm hurrying," said Cassius.

Oma put down a small tower of epadds and began to place them hurryingly in-front of each seat. "Does Shila know?"

Cassius' didn't get a chance to answer as the doors opened. Oma turned and almost groaned in despair when she saw who it was.

Lieutenant Commander Klaus Flint. The brown haired human frowned when he saw the two of them.

"Don't tell me you are not yet ready?"

"We're on it sir," said Oma, not bothering to inform the senior officer that she had just found out the meeting had been brought forward.

"Where's Lieutenant Commander Atavi?" asked the male senior officer.

Oma glanced at Cassius and they both rolled their eyes; making sure Flint did not see them.

"I believe she's on her way sir," said Oma loudly as she stepped closer to the holoscreen emitter.

Flint frown deepened as the doors opened behind him once again. Oma released a sigh of relief when she saw Shila.

"Ah Mr Flint...you're early," said the orion breezily as she set a second small tower of epadds down on the table and passed some to Oma to distribute for the remaining seats.

"You're almost late," said Flint with a disapproving expression.

"Almost does not mean I am dear Mr Flint," said Shila calmly. Oma snuck a look and almost laughed at the severe expression on the security's officer's face.

He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when the doors opened once more and Captain Singh and his second-in-command walked into the room.

"Excellent, you're almost set," said the captain with approval.

"Yes sir," said Cassius " the screen is up and the pads are here."

Singh nodded. "Mr Shran will be bringing Major Solius and one of their science officers. Lieutenant Mirta will also be joining us as well."

Oma tried to hide her anxiety at the thought of the romulans attending the meeting.

"Is it really necessary to have both romulans and klingons in this meeting sir?" asked Flint with a sceptical expression on his face.

Singh smiled dryly. "Politics combined with science is not one of my favourite combos Mr Flint, but in this case it is highly necessary; any other way will upset our neighbours and thus waste time and resources."

The science officer did not say anymore but Oma had a feeling he was not totally convinced by the captain's answer.

"I hope everyone has read their subjects," said Singh in an encouraging voice "our allies will have questions...as will I."

Everyone nodded solemnly.

"Fine; then let's wait for our guests."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Oma tried to watch Shila and the romulans at the same time.

She had managed to hide her relief when only Mirta came from the klingon ship. The ensign had been a little surprised when the female klingon gave her a little smile as if she knew something that Oma did not.

The female ensign tried not to dwell on what the klingon captain may have told his crew; but part of her knew she had to address it sooner than later.

Major Nveid Solius had barely glanced at Oma before taking his seat; he seemed preoccupied for some reason.

Oma was glad of that and prayed it would remain so until the entire mission was over.

Something Shila said had her tuning back into the presentation.

"As you can see on the screen and your epadds, the anomaly seems to have gradually enlarged to its present dimension and remained at this size for the past 3 hours.

Current dimensions are almost identical to that of the Bajoran wormhole."

Though this was common knowledge; there was complete silence as everyone paid attention.

"This anomaly measures 30,250 metres at the diametre; we're predicting that the inner aperture which _will_ be the wormhole tunnel could be roughly 6,050 metres wide.

Enough space for more than 20 USS Enterprises to pass through side by side."

There were uneasy looks on everyone's face at this statement; no doubt they were remembering how the Dominion invaded the Alpha quadrant through the Bajoran wormhole.

The Starfleet science officer continued.

"However the levels of neutrinos and verterons are approximately fifty-fifty which is a sharp contrast to the readings the Romulans collected when they first noticed the anomaly."

Mirta's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean Lieutenant Commander Atavi?"

Shila smiled at her. "In a moment Lieutenant Commander Mirta," she clicked on her handheld device and the screen showing the wormhole changed to show a graph depicting a gently sloping curve that started from the bottom of the graph, rose and seemed climb before staying on an almost horizontal line.

"When we added the energy readings collected by the IKS Y'tem and combined it with readings from our ships computers and that of the Decius we discovering that there was a distinct pattern..."

"It's stabilizing." Everyone turned to look at a solemn looking Nveid.

His science officer looked more frightened.

"Why yes," said Shila, she was clearly not upset by the interruption, in fact she appeared excited "it's becoming a stable wormhole."

Her smile faltered when she saw that everyone did not appear pleased with the news.

"Have you sent any probes into the anomaly?" asked Nveid.

"No," answered Singh "that was my decision...we have no idea who or what may be behind that anomaly. The probe may be destroyed or it may pass through and be detected by another civilization and I would rather not risk such a contact causing problems."

Nveid and Mirta seemed puzzled by this explanation.

Oma exchanged a knowing glance with Cassius; Starfleet history mentioned a particular pre-warp civilization that had been affected adversely by a Starfleet probe.

Captain Singh had every right to worry.

"Which is why we are going with plan B," continued Singh "Ms Atavi has already used the ships sensors to collect as much data as possible.

The current data states it does not have a gravitational pull and none of the ships or probes that have approached it have been pulled in.

As satisfactory as that sounds; we need more data...so Lieutenant Commander Atavi will be taking a closer look."

Major Solius kept a blank expression as he stared at the Starfleet captain but Singh narrowed his eyes as he maintained eye contact.

"You're planning a manned flight to the anomaly?" asked the Tal Shiar officer, his voice calm.

"Yes; we will not attempt to enter it. However...is there anything else you would like to share Major?" his voice was also calm but for some reason the romulan science officer beside the Solius looked very pale.

Nveid kept his expression calm. "We have given you what data we have captain."

Singh looked at him for a while. "I see."

Oma shared a worried look with Cassius; it was obvious that a lot was not being said between the captain and the romulan officer.

"Excuse me," everyone turned to face Lieutenant Commander Flint "I would like to know who's going to be in the crew...I presume this is a shuttle we will be using?"

Shila nodded. "Of course; I will be one of the crew; with Ensign Kadretti as co-pilot and Ensign Cassius assisting..."

"If I may suggest something," interrupted a frowning Flint " but I believe this mission would be better suited to having two other senior officers with Ms Atavi."

Oma and Cassius had looks of dismay and shock on their faces.

Shila was no longer smiling. "Mr Flint; both ensigns have been very hardworking and this is a once in a-life-time opportunity for them to learn something..."

"With all due respect Ms Atavi," interrupted Flint "this is a risky mission."

Both officers glared at each other.

Mirta raised an eyebrow at the verbal conflict; while Nveid was smiling a little at the exchange between the two officers.

"Lieutenant Commanders," boomed Commander Caleb Bishop's voice.

"Both of you have valid points; however let us come to an agreement. One ensign and one lieutenant Commander will accompany Ms Atavi."

The two senior officers seemed to remember where they were as they both quickly broke eye contact. Both appeared embarrassed.

"Who would you consider Mr Bishop?" asked Singh.

Bishop was quiet for a short time.

"Ensign Kadretti will be the co-pilot...Mr Flint would you consider volunteering for the second post ? You do have some engineering ability."

The male Starfleet officer raised his head with pride. "Yes sir; I would be glad to take part."

Cassius looked disappointed; so did Atavi but she wisely kept quiet.

"Well since that is settled; are there any questions?" asked Singh.

"Yes...I would like to join this expedition so as to observe," said Nveid.

Oma opened her mouth and shut it quickly.

No, that was so not going to happen.

But to her worry she saw speculative look on the captain's face.

He looked like he was actually considering it!

"Captain; this is a joint endeavour... I only wish to assist and observe," Nveid's voice was calm and polite. It held none of the arrogance that the other Tal Shiar of the captain of the Decius showed.

Singh was quiet for a few more moments. "I guess that is acceptable."

Mirta's eyes widened. Clearly she had not expected that as well.

Oma felt her heart beating rapidly; she looked down trying to hide her fear.

It will be a short flight; don't panic, don't panic.

But Oma felt that her it was going to be impossible to be calm during that flight.

As they discussed when the flight would take place; she wished with all her heart that she could trade places with Cassius.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**In unknown space...**_

Two small vipers emerged from a jump; less than 5 seconds passed before a much bigger Defiant class ship emerged from warp.

Kara Thrace turned in her cockpit to look at the deadly strange ship beside her.

This was the first time that she had a chance to get a good look at the outside of the Xavier.

It was a beauty.

She swore someday she would get a chance to fly that ship; that was definitely on the bucket list.

"_Lieutenant Thrace; you guys okay?"_

Kara smiled dryly at Logan's rough voice and straight forward question.

"Yes captain; we're good. What's next?"

"_Position your ships on either side of the Xavier...Q's going to attach tractor beams to your vipers."_

Kara nodded; suddenly worried and eager at the same time. "Why, if I may ask captain? And what's a tractor beam ?"

"_You may,"_ the man from Earth sounded amused _"we're going to warp very soon in order to get as far from our last position as quickly as possible._

_Also; I do not want you using up your tylium early in the mission as well as taking the precaution that the cylons may also be able to track your 'jumps' the way we did."_

Kara frowned at the assumption; if the cylons could do that they would have found them weeks ago. However she had to admit if the _cylons_ had now developed a way to track 'jumps' then maybe this precaution was necessary.

Logan was still talking.

"_Q has assured me that the tractor beams can hold your ships for up to 2 hours during warp._

_We will only do it for an hour...I trust you are used to sitting in your ships for much longer ?"_

Kara nodded; then answered when she realized he may not see her agreement.

"Yes."

"_Good; once we get to the next destination, we'll pack your vipers in shuttle bay 3 then proceed to coming up with some sort of plan._

_In the meantime; every discussion we will have with the others will be transmitted to you."_

In his ship, Helo looked very startled.

Kara however was not pleased with the arrangement; but even she saw the logic in moving further away from their last location.

So much depended on this mission.

"We will appreciate that Captain."

"_Ensign Q will get in touch with you soon and explain how the tractor beams work. Xavier out."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Kara watched the other viper move slowly towards the other side of the Xavier.

As she slowly followed; she found her thoughts returning to the events of the last hour.

Once the small group of colonials officers , one earth man and one hologram had left the Admiral's office; they headed straight for the flight deck.

No chance to pick up any extra ammo or any of the frightfully few body armour that would be needed for such a recon mission.

She just hoped the Starfleet had body armour of some sort and that they were willing to share it.

Probably not ; if their Prime Directive was anything to go by.

On the Galactica flight deck; they had found Tyrol as usual busy with maintenance of over-used vipers which were sorely in need of replacements. The poor man had been bewildered when Lee demanded to know which two vipers were fuelled and ready for long flights.

Though stunned; Tyrol had a very good recovery time and he quickly pointed out two vipers.

One of them was a viper that had returned from Hera's planet more or less intact and the second one had been the one Helo had been flying recently.

Before Tyrol could say another word; Kara and Helo who were as per protocol already in flight gear climbed into the vipers and quickly began to strap themselves in.

Sharon, Anders and Rogers joined Captain Logan and the hologram as they walked back to the shuttle with Lee.

Tyrol had quickly climbed up Kara's left wing before she could close the cockpit.

"Starbuck! What the frak is going on?!" he asked in an anxious whisper.

Kara continued her pre-flight plan as she answered in a low voice.

"Can't really tell you buddy."

Tyrol's face paled. "You're going on something big aren't you? That's why you're leaving with the Xavier !"

Kara gave him a sharp look. "Do us a favour and keep it to yourself; I mean it bud, do not tell Cally."

The specialist swallowed nervously. "Fine...just bring back my babies in one piece. There are not that many left you know."

Starbuck smiled sadly. "Don't I know it, we'll try our best."

Tyrol looked at her for a long moment. "Also bring yourselves back safely you crazy pilot. May the Gods go with you." He climbed off the viper.

"So say we all," prayed Kara softly as she closed her cockpit.

Just before Kara manoeuvred her ship after the 'shuttle' , she had seen the frustrated frown on Lee's face as his gaze followed the specialist who was walking back to his station.

It was clear he was not happy with the turn of events and he must also be dying inside to find out what Logan had discussed privately with the old man.

Kara was also to keen to find out; but she was smart enough to know that piece of information may be forever out of her reach.

Unless she was crazy enough to ask Captain Logan about it.

It took her a few moments to realize that such a question may not be wise at all.

Kara firmly squashed her thoughts as she confirmed her position was lateral to the Xavier.

"Xavier; we're in position."

"_Excellent Lieutenant Thrace and Captain Agathon,"_ replied Ensign Q Junior _"that was quickly done...now tractor beams are attenuated linear graviton beams used to control movement of external objects._

_As Captain Agathon can attest to ; this was used on his viper in the last encounter with the cylons and he came through warp without any injury or damage to his vessel."_

"_Yes; that is true," _agreed Helo when the hologram paused.

Kara felt some of her anxiety dissipate.

Q Junior continued speaking.

"_Now in the past; tractor beams could only be used in sub-warp velocities; however the ship has modifications to tow much slower smaller crafts during warp for only short periods._

_However,the longest that this can be done at warp 4.8 is 2 hours 9 minutes and 27 seconds. The higher the warp; the shorter the duration."_

Helo frowned in his cockpit. "Why can't it go on for longer ?"

"_Because of two reasons._

_One, you do not possess a warp drive; if you could match speed with the Xavier we could do this for much longer._

_Two; tractor beams place spatial stresses on specific parts of the ship it is towing to keep it fixed in place. The amount of stress increases exponentially relative to the warp speed and the duration of the warp journey._

_The longer the stress builds up; the greater the risk of tearing the towed object to pieces," _answered Q Junior patiently.

Helo felt light headed when he thought of how easily the Xavier had attached his vipers and those of Anders and Lee to it before they fled from the attacking cylons.

Kara found herself swallowing nervously.

"Anything else we should know, Q?"

"_Lots."_

Kara found herself smiling at his dry answer.

"_For now please keep the following in mind; what- ever happens...do not attempt to jump your ship during warp. This could destroy your ship and yourself."_

There was silence for a few moments as the two pilots tried to comprehend the astonishing and potentially lethal technology of the Thirteenth Tribe.

"_However once all precautions are taken it is relatively a safe way to travel."_

"Understood," said Kara and Helo at almost the same time; both colonials were trying to hide their worry.

"_Fine; power down your engine to the level needed for life support; then I will attach the tractor beams."_

Kara complied with his instructions; then after a few minutes she felt her viper move slightly then remain completely still.

"_Prepare for warp...see you on the other side,"_ said Q Junior cheerfully.

In mere moments the two vipers and one modified Defiant class simultaneously executed a FTL event.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**Several minutes earlier, the Xavier, en route to the bridge...**_

Sharon finally remembered to breathe when they got on board the Xavier.

Once they exited the shuttle; they found a young girl waiting for them in the shuttle bay.

Captain Logan's daughter, the cylon recalled that her name was Laura; just like the president's but that was the only similarity the two females shared.

Laura was wearing a dark blue t-shirt, black jeans and black boots. She had taken a long look at each of them then nodded to her father. She turned to speak briefly to Q Junior before he dashed off for 'engineering'.

Now that was a place that Tyrol would have _loved _to investigate.

Sharon was sorely tempted to pinch herself to ensure she was not dreaming.

She was quick to realize that the interior of the ship seemed different.

May be it had to do with the obvious fact that she was now coming on board it as part of a 'team'. Hopefully she would not end up in the brig or behind a force-field again.

She glanced at Rogers and Anders. Sharon smiled at the stunned looks on their faces as they tried and failed to avoid gaping at the interior of the clean strange ship.

"_Welcome back Captain and Ensign Q Junior."_

"Thanks Xavier, it's good to be back," replied Logan.

The two male colonials paled when they heard the 'smooth' electronic voice.

"Don't be afraid; that's Xavier. He treated us well," whispered Sharon in reassuring voice. She looked to see if Logan had heard but the man showed no indication that he was paying attention.

But Laura was staring back at her and something in her expression told Sharon that the captain's daughter did not trust them.

Somehow, Sharon understood, she just hoped she could prove that she would not betray their trust.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Logan tried not to let his amused expression show when he heard Sharon's whisper.

Part of him was wondering if he was insane to consider having this group along for a possible suicide mission.

But he was running out of choices.

Logan looked back at a silent Laura who seemed to be watching the colonials like a hawk as they approached the turbo-lifts.

"How's Dr Grey?"

Laura looked at him. "She's well; what's our ETA?"

"Depends on the information we have available and necessary preparations.

For now we'll set off at warp 4.8 for an hour.

Once we get Lieutenant Thrace and Captain Agathon on board we can then discuss the recon mission."

"I will be joining you." Sharon felt her lower jaw drop and her astonished expression was mirrored in the face of the two men beside her.

The child could not mean to accompany them into a basestar ?!

Captain Logan did not look surprised but slightly weary.

"Laura; let's discuss this later..."

"I'm still coming along," said Laura firmly.

Her father just looked at her. "Later Laura," there was an edge to his tone.

The female teenager just smiled at him.

Rogers and Anders exchanged a worried look. Both of them were wondering why a girl who was basically still a child would want to take part in a dangerous mission.

Clearly she had no idea how risky recons in cylon territory was.

Or did she ?

"People we're going to the bridge; Lieutenant Starbuck and Captain Agathon will jump first and we will follow."

"What happens after that?" asked Anders when he managed to stop gaping at his surroundings.

"Then we put some distance between us and the next location before we get the two vipers on board and discuss with your team-mates on how to start this mission," said Logan as he ushered them into a turbo-lift.

"What exactly do you wish to know?" asked Sharon. She could barely feel the 'lift' begin to move.

Laura was the one who answered. "Numbers; what kind of defence do they have? Range of centurion models from their smallest to the largest.

Basically anything that you know...whether you consider it important or not."

Sharon stared at the smaller girl; her eyes were hard. The kind that had seen death and possibly dished it out as well.

"I'll tell you what I know Miss Logan."

The girl's eyes narrowed at the name. "My name is Laura Kinney."

Anders had a puzzled look on his face. "I thought..."

"The captain is my father...do not ask about my mother," Laura's frigid tone could have frozen planets.

Anders spared a quick look at the captain. His face was expressionless.

Something terrible had happened to Laura's mother; but for her to answer a different name than her father's must mean something.

Anders was smart enough not to pry; just the memory of those metal blades attached to Laura's fore- arms was very fresh.

"I apologize for the mistake," said Sharon carefully.

Laura did not reply.

The lift eventually came to a stop to Anders and Roger's relief.

They all stepped onto a CIC that they could never have imagined in their wildest dreams.

It was clean; uncluttered and currently had only one occupant.

Dr Grey.

She was wearing a light grey shirt with black slacks and black boots. She was also standing close to the view-screen which showed white lights streaking by. The doctor greeted them with a smile as she looked at each of them. Her gaze lingered for a brief moment on Rogers before she spoke.

"Welcome back captain and Lieutenant Agathon. Ensign Rogers and Junior Lieutenant Anders; welcome to the Xavier."

"Thanks Dr Grey," said Rogers and Anders almost at the same time. Jean's smile slipped at their slightly nervous reply.

"_**They remember our anger...that is good."**_ Jean ignored the Phoenix's gleeful whisper and the laughter that followed it.

"How are we doing Jean?" asked Logan.

The doctor shifted her concerned look to the captain of the Xavier. "We'll be coming out of warp in less than 7 minutes. Apart from that we're good to go."

Logan nodded; then turned to see Roger's right hand was in the air.

"Yes ensign?"

"A...are we already in warp?"

Logan gestured to the screen. "That shows that we are. I gave the order for the ship to go to warp once we came on board."

"That was pretty quick," said Anders.

"Make no mistake...we're already hours behind the cylons. We need to have done this yesterday," said Logan in a solemn tone.

The expression on Sharon's face showed that she agreed.

"Anyway; before we start anything. Everyone who is going on this mission or has just come on board is having a medical."

The three colonials stared at Dr Grey in surprise. Logan just smiled; Laura's face was blank.

"Oh yes you are. I'm going to need full physicals done. I regret not getting your records from Dr Cottle but I understand the need for haste. Once Lieutenant Thrace and Captain Agathon get on board; they are getting theirs as well."

Logan noticed the uncomfortable looks on the faces of the colonials.

"Any objections?"

The three shook their heads; clearly recalling the Admiral's orders not to get out of line. They understood the need for physicals.

If their roles had been reversed; Logan and his crew would have been examined by Dr Cottle whether they wanted it or not.

"Glad to hear it," said Logan dryly "get seated and do not touch anything."

Jean took pity on their anxious expressions and showed them where to sit. Laura just kept watching them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Anders had been stunned by the inside of the Xavier. He had heard Sharon and Kara's description of the time they had been its 'guests'.

But that had not prepared him for this.

It was both alien and slightly familiar but completely different from the Galactica. The cleanliness was one of the many factors but the rest ranged from obvious advanced technology to the spooky sounding AI.

Just the thought of one on board the ship was doing fantastic things to his heart rate.

He could almost understand Lee's urge to attempt nuking the Xavier but he knew the CAG would have failed miserably and worsened matters even further.

Dr Grey looked at him and gave him a solemn nod before turning away.

Anders felt his lower jaw drop. Had she somehow knew what he was thinking about?

Kara had told him the woman seemed to know what they were thinking before it occurred. He had not believed it completely but had been wise enough not to point that out to his wife.

The pilot's thoughts returned to the present when he heard Laura inform the captain that they were emerging from warp.

Time had passed by so quickly.

He turned towards the view screen and was relieved to see two vipers already waiting for them. Anders kept quiet as Captain Logan gave Kara and Helo new orders and noticed when the turbolift doors opened to reveal Ensign Q Junior.

The hologram waited for his captain to finish speaking; then Logan looked at him.

"Warp drive is fine and I'm ready to use the tractor beam."

Logan nodded. "Good. Explain to Lieutenant Thrace and Captain Agathon the next phase of our departure."

"Yes captain," said Q Junior before taking his position before what had to be the helm. Anders glanced around and saw Rogers and Sharon was watching as well.

He hoped they were paying attention to details.

Like how Ensign Q Junior seemed to know so much; the absence of other crew and how Laura watched them as if they were a bunch of venomous snakes.

He could hardly wait for this to be over.

Anders concerns grew when he heard Q Junior describe how risky the tractor beams could be. He opened his mouth to object.

"**You had no problems when we used it on your viper...Q Junior will take care in getting your friends to the other side. **

**You have nothing to worry about."**

Anders frowned then turned to see Jean was watching him.

Had she just spoken to him in his head?

The female doctor smiled sadly before turning back to the monitor in-front of her.

The shaken viper pilot turned back to the view screen.

What had they gotten involved with ?

Anders barely registered when Q Junior told Kara and Helo that he was attaching the tractor beams.

"Prepare for warp...see you on the other side," said Q Junior cheerfully.

The colonial junior lieutenant looked up to see the live video of the vipers had been replaced by the streaking white lines.

Anders swallowed before approaching the hologram. He was conscious of the way Laura followed his every move.

"Eh...Q Junior," the hologram turned to look at him " I guess you have Kara and Helo on a monitoring system. Can I see? Please?"

Q Junior looked a bit puzzled. "Sure," he pressed a few symbols on his brightly coloured screen. "Here they are."

Anders moved closely and saw a graphic reading showing a symbol which resembled the Xavier with two smaller ships on each side of it.

The diagram looked like the three ships were in a tunnel with flowing lines on either side of the three ship convoy.

There were numbers around the two smaller ships.

Q Junior answered Anders' unspoken question.

"These figures are currently in blue; meaning the spatial stress forces placed on the two vipers are within safe parameters."

"How do you know if things go wrong?" asked an anxious Sharon who had approached them. Rogers was not long behind her.

"1st indication is if the figures go orange; if the colour changes to red...then we have a problem. However Xavier is keeping an eye on the forces as well so he will definitely mention something before it gets that far."

Anders and Rogers shared a worried look, while Sharon looked thoughtful.

They trusted the AI that much ?

"Yeah we do trust him," said Q Junior stiffly ; he had no problem interpreting the worried look between the two male colonials.

"I'm sorry...this is just...odd for us," said Sharon awkwardly; she had not missed the silent communication between her fellow pilots.

"I see," was all the hologram said. Anders could see that they had clearly upset the hologram but he had no idea what to say to make it better.

"Lieutenant Agathon; Junior Lieutenant Anders and Ensign Rogers...it's time for your physicals," called Dr Grey saving Anders from saying anything else.

The colonial officer was glad for the save.

"Yes ma'am."

He and the other two colonial officers turned to follow the doctor. Laura moved as if to join them.

"Laura," her father's voice stopped her.

"Stay behind...Q will accompany the good doctor in case she needs help."

Jean looked a bit puzzled then her expression cleared as if she knew something. Ensign Q Junior took one look at the solemn look on Logan's face and hurryingly left the bridge with the 3 colonials and Dr Grey.

As the turbo-lift left; Rogers had a good idea what the captain was going to discuss with his daughter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Laura was silent for several moments as she leaned against a railing and watched Logan.

"What's up old man?"

Logan said nothing for a while. "Why do you want in on this mission?"

"Oh...so that's what's eating you? You need me pops. This was what I was created for."

Logan hid a wince at the reminder. She sounded like it had been his fault that had happened.

And maybe in a way it was.

If he had not walked into the trap Stryker made for him centuries ago; maybe the 'organization' would not have had a chance to experiment with his genetic material and thus create Laura.

So many ifs; but no sure way of controlling his own destiny.

"Is that what you want to do with your life? Getting into dangerous situations that could eventually get you killed?"

Laura sighed. "We're already in one old man...we've got 5 colonials on board the Xavier...with one of them being a cylon and we are going to infiltrate a basestar to rescue her child.

What could be more dangerous than that?"

"You do not have to come along; someone has to stay here and watch out for Jean..."

"And who watches out for you then?" cut in Laura.

Logan's face showed surprise at her question. "Q Junior will be with us; I'm sure he will watch my back."

"Who watches his? And do you even have a plan?"

Logan felt a headache coming on. "As you can see we have not had time to go over what-ever intel Sharon has. Once we do that...then I can come up with something."

Laura shook her head. "Not good enough."

The man in-front of her sighed. "And you can do better ?"

"Oh yeah; first of all include me on the team. I have more experience that I_ can actually recall_ on how to infiltrate a hostile environment and I'm younger and faster."

Logan could not hide the brief discomfort he felt as she mentioned the massive 'gap' in his memory.

"I see," he said coldly.

He was more than a little surprised to see a little redness appear on her face at his cool tone.

"Alright...that was out of line. I'm sorry...but you will be making a big mistake if I am not on that team."

Forget surprise, how about astonished! This was the first time Logan had ever heard Laura apologize for anything.

He looked at her for a long time.

"Alright."

Laura's eyes widened. "So I'm in?"

"No...," Laura's face assumed a stubborn expression but Logan held up his hand "hear me out.

We need to listen to what Sharon knows first of all before we start saying who's in or not.

I do not doubt your ability to defend yourself but try to understand, we are in a very dangerous place right now and we have to be very careful.

I will include you in all meetings and value your contribution.

But please remember that you are a lot more than just a former assassin or infiltrator."

She looked at him for a long time with eyes identical to his.

"Yes pops. I will remember that." Laura looked away clearly uncomfortable.

"I need to get something to eat." She quickly left the bridge.

Logan leaned back in his chair with a weary sigh.

He had a bad feeling this was not the end of the discussion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**Medical bay...**_

Rogers was feeling quite anxious as they followed Dr Grey and the hologram to the medical bay. To the obvious relief of Anders; Q had gone in front to walk beside the doctor.

Clearly he was nervous around the hologram.

Sharon was trying not to be obvious as she tried to look at everything at once.

As for Rogers; he was more worried about what waited for him at the end of the corridor. He had a feeling it had to do with his particular...'problem.'

_**It's not a 'problem' kid.**_

The ensign stopped dead and Anders almost ran into him.

"Hey Rogers you okay?"

Q Junior and the doctor stopped but the hologram looked back while Dr Grey just looked straight ahead.

"Em...I'm okay...just a little tired."

_**Don't worry; you'll soon see clearly.**_

Rogers felt himself go cold and he turned and gripped Anders forearm.

"Did you hear that?! Please tell me you heard that?!"

Part of Rogers knew he sounded and looked hysterical but that was the least of his problems.

Anders looking more worried by the moment. "Ensign Rogers, calm down what is it?"

Rogers opened his mouth to speak; he was about to proclaim his sanity. However the look on Q Junior; Sharon and Anders' faces claimed otherwise.

"You're not insane Rogers," said a firm female but gentle voice.

Everyone turned to face Dr Grey; she looked a bit tired and slightly guilty.

"He's not ?" asked Q Junior in a puzzled tone. Jean glared at him and his cheeks turned slightly red.

"No...he's not. Now let's get to the medical bay. We have very little time."

She turned away and resumed walking. The four people in the corridor looked at each other.

"We might as well get moving sir," said Rogers; some of the colour had come back into his face. Q Junior gave three of them a worried look before going after the doctor. Sharon and Anders stayed beside the ensign.

"Guys...we really need to go. I swear I'm fine...I have not had enough sleep since I broke this arm." To his ears that reason sounded lame.

"Uh huh" said Anders unconvincingly but the explanation still got him and Sharon moving again.

I'm fine thought Rogers, I just need to rest.

He found himself waiting for the dark female voice to speak again; but all that he could hear was silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Dr Grey felt like swearing or punching something.

_What the hell were you thinking?!_

_**Well dearest I was only trying to make the young mutant comfortable...**_

_By scaring him half way to death!? Yeah explain how that works!_

_**Oh calm down ! No harm done; in fact I was doing you a favour.**_

_And how?_ Raged Jean at the Phoenix.

_**Soon he will know what he is...you might as well get him used to telephatic conversations.**_

_You're impossible!_

_**I do try other-me.**_ The Phoenix sounded positively gleeful.

Jean resisted the urge to reply; that would only encourage the entity within her.

_I appreciate your assistance...but please give me fair warning next time and let me do the talking!_

_**Whatever you say dear.**_ The words were followed by a mischievous laugh.

Jean shook her head minutely as she entered the medical bay; she grabbed a light blue ward coat and put it on.

Once she was sure that her expression was calm; she turned to face the colonials.

"Now...who wants to go first?"

The three colonials looked at each other with varying degrees of anxiety ; while Q Junior tried and failed at hiding an amused smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

In the end Dr Grey started the medical assessment on Sharon while Q Junior started on Ensign Q Junior.

Anders stayed close to the ensign because despite all he had heard and seen; he didn't really think the doctor was a threat.

She was a doctor; a healer, just like Dr Cottle.

Q Junior on the other hand was something else...besides Sharon might not be keen for Anders to learn about certain parts of her medical history.

The colonial junior lieutenant tried not to stare as the hologram took a short past medical history and then moved on to the assessment part.

"What we are basically doing is making sure you're fit for the mission and if not; why and whether it can be fixed.

First is a full body scan, similar to what I did when I examined your left forearm.

The investigation is non-invasive and also gives us a detailed examination of your genetic material."

Q Junior paused. "Any questions?"

Rogers swallowed then looked nervously at the bio-bed he was leaning against. "Nope...go ahead."

Anders frowned but kept silent. Somehow the thought of being examined was something he wanted to avoid.

But how?

"Fine, please stand."

Rogers complied a bit puzzled; then was startled when a slim transparent bar 3 feet long extended from a bed, rotated until it was horizontal in front of him.

"Remain still," said Q Junior with a small smile on his face.

The bar began to show a bluish light as it moved from his head to his feet; then it assumed the vertical position and returned to the bio-bed.

Anders and Rogers stared at the hologram; the whole procedure must have lasted less than 2 minutes.

"That's it ?" asked the junior lieutenant.

Q Junior picked up an epadd from the bio-bed before answering.

"Yes; that's it...if this had been a trauma case, it would have been much longer. However I have already treated Ensign Rogers for his previous injuries so his history is somewhat known to me."

He looked at Anders. "However; you sir are a total mystery. So your assessment is probably going to be longer."

Anders felt himself freeze. A voice inside him stated he should be afraid...but why?

Q Junior turned back to his monitor; appearing to be more interested in what was in his hands than how scared the colonial pilot was.

"What does my report say?" asked Rogers with some anxiety.

"Well as to be expected...mild form of malnutrition, some form of radiation poisoning..."

Anders and Rogers shared an uncomfortable look. Radiation poisoning and sickness was the second highest ailment in the fleet right after malnutrition.

"...and...hmm..."

The two colonials looked at Q Junior who was frowning at his epadd.

"What...what's wrong?" asked Anders in a hard tone.

"Emm...your genetic material..."Q Junior looked like he did not really want to talk but had to "...it says you have the mutant gene."

To say the two colonials were shocked was an understatement.

"What did you say?" asked Rogers in a low tone.

Q Junior bit his lower lip. "It says that you are a mutant."

"That's not possible...you need to check it again," said Anders forcibly.

The hologram stared at him for several moments than sighed. "I don't need to do that...because this is the second time the mutant gene was detected in you."

It's didn't take long for Rogers to connect the dots.

"When you fixed my arm ? You knew then?"

"It was after I fixed your arm that I realized you had the gene," answered the hologram calmly. Roger's face was extremely pale.

"And you didn't say anything?!" asked Anders heatedly.

Q Junior did not back down. "Of course not; please explain how reasonable it would have been to announce to the entire world that Ensign Rogers is a mutant?

Especially in the midst of the most xenophobic race I have ever had the opportunity to meet!" His last words were almost delivered at a shout.

Anders found himself taking a step back at the anger in the hologram's voice.

"Boys...what is going on?"

Everyone turned to face Dr Grey; she had her hands in her pockets and an irritated look on her face. A worried looking Sharon was standing beside her.

No one answered her.

"Someone better tell me what is going on." The doctor was not in a good mood. She looked at each of them and concentrated on Q Junior.

The ensign swallowed then answered. "I...I was telling Ensign Rogers the results of his genetic profile."

Jean narrowed her eyes. "And what did you say?"

"He told me I'm a mutant," said Rogers in a faint voice.

Sharon's voice formed a wordless 'O'.

Dr Grey looked a bit resigned. "You both find this information distressful?"

"We..." started Anders then he spared a glance for Rogers who still looked shocked "I was asking Ensign Q Junior to run the test again and..."

"He told you this was not the first time he knew about Ensign Rogers having the gene?" completed the doctor.

"Yes," said Anders uncertainly.

"Was that the reason for the raised voices ?" asked Jean with a glint in her eyes that made the colonial pilot sweat.

"That would be my fault Dr Grey," said Q Junior to Anders' astonishment.

"I answered without considering the impact of my words. I stated that informing the colonial command about Ensign Rogers' mutant gene would not be wise considering the extreme xenophobic nature of the colonials."

The female doctor closed her eyes briefly in embarrassment.

Q Junior swallowed again; his face red. "Junior Lieutenant Anders, Ensign Rogers, Lieutenant Sharon and Dr Grey; I apologize for the distress my words caused. I meant no offense."

Rogers held up a hand. "No need to apologize Q Junior...I understand."

"Q's right," everyone turned to face Sharon who was watching the hologram with a bitter smile on her face. "It takes a long time before command decides to trust anyone who is...different.

Usually it's shoot first and discuss later."

Anders felt his face go red; he remembered the way Sharon had been treated badly on Caprica when she helped them escape.

Then on the Galactica when she came back with them.

In his mind; he could still see the chains and handcuffs they had placed on her neck and wrists and how she was almost attacked by Admiral's Cain's goons.

Not to mention the current mess involving her daughter's faked death.

"I also apologize for my attitude," said Anders "...it was uncalled for. I appreciate all the help you have given Q."

He struck his right hand out.

Q Junior stared at it for a few moments; then shook the colonial's hand.

Dr Grey smiled a little at the way males seemed to let bygones be bygones. Apparently males in whatever galaxy or universe had the same attitude.

"Fine; now that is settled. I need to speak to Ensign Rogers," she looked at the other two colonials and Q Junior.

"Do you wish to speak privately?"

Rogers seemed to struggle with the decision. "I think..."

Anders and Sharon looked at each other and made as if to leave.

"I think everyone should stay," completed Rogers.

Everyone looked surprised apart from the doctor.

She regarded for him for a while.

"Okay. Q, please pass me your epadd."

The hologram handled it to her quietly. She read it in silence for a several moments before speaking.

"In 2006; mutants made up less than 5 percent of the human population; numbering 30 million in a population of more than 6 billion.

This was before the Third World war which involved widespread use of nukes.

However presently; more than 87 percent of the human race in Federation territories are mutants.

If you're had a chance to read the articles we left with the Galactica; you will see that current high population of humans with the mutant gene is linked to the high levels of radiation poisoning and fall out of a major nuclear war that killed more than 600 million of our people when we lived on one planet.

That war was almost 300 years ago.

The survivors had a tough time but more of their descendants began to show mutant abilities. Theorists stated it was man's way of adapting to the radiation-poisoned Earth."

Anders and Rogers winced at the thought of a nuked Earth.

Jean kept speaking while looking at the screen of the epadd before her.

"However the mutant gene exists in two ways; dormant and active. Current Federation census states the 87 percent of humans have the active gene while the remaining 13% have the dormant gene."

She looked up at Rogers.

Somehow the colonial ensign knew what she was going to say.

"Your mutant gene is active; you have a functioning ability ensign."

Rogers opened his mouth to speak; but realized he could not find anything to say.

Then he heard another gleeful voice that did not seem so strange anymore.

"_**Welcome to the family kid. My name is Phoenix."**_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**Romulan Neutral border...**_

"Take us closer to 55,000 metres and maintain position Ensign Kadretti."

"Yes Lieutenant Commander."

The female Starfleet ensign obeyed Lieutenant Commander Atavi's order and edged the small craft forward while conscious of the silence of the two males behind her.

Major Solius, an observer and Lieutenant Commander Flint who was manning the second science station and keeping an additional eye on the shields of the Starfleet shuttle.

25 minutes ago; they had left the Dunkirk which was 125,000 metres from the anomaly.

The approach of Oma's shuttle was closely being monitored by the IKS Y'tem and the Decius; as well as the two Starfleet starships and the other 5 romulan warbirds.

So far everything had been peaceful and Atavi had eagerly recorded further reading of neutrinos and verterons. From her analysis the figures were stabilising.

It seemed like it was actually becoming a wormhole; the question on everyone's mind was when and how the stability would be certain.

As they said in the ancient Earth history; that was the million dollar question.

"Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti."

The calm male voice almost had Oma jumping out of her seat. She turned slightly to face the Tal Shiar.

"You pilot this craft very well."

Oma barely maintain a calm expression.

"Thank you Major Solius," she turned back to the helm.

"You have a unique name...Ihuoma is an ancient African name from an equally old country called Nigeria. It means many things but the one description that stands out is 'beauty.' The literal meaning of course is 'beautiful face."

Oma froze on the controls; filled with dread at his calm analytical voice.

It sounded like he was describing a unique rare discovery.

He knows; oh God he knows I'm a mutant, thought Oma anxiously.

She was barely conscious of the startled expression on Atavi's face. She had stopped her calculations to look at Oma and then at the Romulan.

But it was Flint who surprised them all.

"Major Solius; the aim of this joint venture is to study the stabilizing wormhole, not discuss the meaning of names.

If you consider names unique allow me to briefly explain the meaning of my ancient german first name 'Klaus'...which means victory of the people."

Nveid sounded amused when he answered. "I was only making an observation."

Klaus gave him an insincere smile. "I'm sure you were," he turned to the front to see Oma was now watching him and the Tal Shiar.

"Ensign, do mind the controls," his voice was a bit firm.

"Yes sir," said Oma in a calm voice as she turned back to the helm.

Part of her wanted to hug Klaus while the other half wanted to clobber him for the way he dismissed her.

Maybe he's just trying to draw attention away from you said a little voice in her head.

Atavi cleared her throat. Everyone looked at her.

"Well...I'm going to contact the Dunkirk. We have been at this position for 5 minutes and no change. I think we need to go to step two."

Flint's frown deepened. "Do you think that's wise?"

The female orion officer nodded. "Definitely; the IKS Y'tem emerged at 12,500 metres from the anomaly and did not experience any effects.

And that was more than 6 hours ago before the readings stabilized.

We're good to go."

Flint rubbed the lower part of his face. He was obviously concerned.

He looked at the romulan officer. "What do you think Major?"

The Tal Shiar did not waste time in answering. "It sounds like a good idea. I'm all for it."

Flint stared at him for a while then turned to Atavi. "Fine...I'll alert the captain."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**USS Dunkirk; the bridge...**_

Captain Singh tapped his left arm chair softly as he watched the viewscreen.

The delta flyer had gone closer to the anomaly and looked so tiny compared to it. The anomaly had also changed in appearance and looked darker.

Singh was not sure but he felt the anomaly was bad news.

For once he wished he had a crew member with precognitive abilities.

He glanced sideways to see Lieutenant Commander Mirta. He had been surprised when she requested permission to stay on board to observe.

Apparently Karath had given her leave to do so.

Singh was okay with it as long as she stayed out of the way.

"Captain; in coming transmission from the Delta Flyer Infinity," informed a Lieutenant at communications.

"Put them through Mr Namako; audio and video," said Singh.

The viewscreen changed to show Lieutenant Commander Flint.

"_Captain; we're at 55,000 metres and have yet to experience any gravitational forces from the anomaly._

_Permission to go nearer sir; for visual and sensor data collection."_

Singh frowned. "What guarantee do we have of safety Mr Flint ?"

"_Based on reports from the IKS Y'tem and the Decius; there was no effect at much closer proximity. However we are prepared to abort on your command."_

Singh was quiet for a while; he could feel Flint's hidden worry but Mirta seemed puzzled by their reluctance to go closer.

However how would they get more data if they did not go closer?

It was not as if he was telling them to enter the anomaly.

"Fine; proceed with caution and at the slightest change in conditions you are to abort immediately."

The senior officer nodded. _"Understood captain."_

The viewscreen changed to show the anomaly.

Singh was silent for a while before turning to Telev.

"Mr Shran; inform the transporter room to maintain a lock at all times."

"Yes captain," said the andorian as he sent the message.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Kara soon got bored at looking at the whitish lines which surrounded the vipers and the Xavier. She looked at her chronometer.

They had been travelling for 27 minutes.

Another 33 minutes to go.

Oh joy. She was going stir crazy.

She had flown long missions before but this was very different. Her craft was powered down and she was being towed by an alien craft.

Okay; make that a highly advanced craft of the Thirteenth Tribe.

She looked at the Xavier wistfully.

What would it be to fly something like that?

"_Hey Lieutenant Starbuck; you alright ?"_ She was startled by Captain Logan's voice.

"Yes I am captain; any problems?" she asked with some worry in her voice.

"_No problems to worry about," _commented the captain dryly _"unless you count what we're racing towards."_

Kara had to laugh at that.

"_Captain Helo; how's your side?" _asked the captain of the Xavier.

"_It's a pretty great view Captain Logan,"_said Helo with some enthusiasm. Kara shook her head at the fellow colonial officer's friendly attitude.

Helo was a very amicable and highly honourable guy. Some guys who met him for the first time took that to be a sign of weakness; but boy were they wrong. Because that attribute was what made him the man he was.

Sharon was a very lucky woman; Kara sure hopped she realized that.

"_Well; I'm glad you're enjoying the show. We will soon be stopping in about half an hour so it will be..."_

Kara frowned when his voice was cut off by another voice that she had been dreading to hear.

"_Emergency warp stop initiated; obstacle ahead."_

That was the AI of the Xavier talking.

Kara could barely form a thought before the three of them stopped suddenly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**The Xavier, medical bay...**_

Rogers was still staring at the doctor; he seemed stunned to silence.

"An ability?" asked Anders with a look of worry on his face. "What kind?"

Dr Grey looked at Rogers as if waiting for him to answer

The colonial ensign looked at her and knew she was aware of what he could do.

That could mean only one thing...Dr Grey had to be an oracle like his grandmother. He felt as if a great load was lifted off his shoulders.

He opened his mouth to speak.

"_Emergency warp stop initiated; obstacle ahead."_

Everyone looked up in alarm as klaxons began to blare.

"_Q!"_ they all jumped at the captain's shout "_get to the bridge now!"_

"Yes Captain!" shouted the hologram as he ran for the door.

"Wait!" yelled Anders fearing the worst. He and Sharon shared a scared look and started after him; at the door the cylon turned back.

Anders kept running out the door.

"Rogers aren't you coming?!" asked Sharon.

The dazed ensign looked at her as if he had trouble seeing.

"I...I need to stay here." Dr Grey approached him with a frown on her face which changed to a look of concern when he appeared unsteady and had to lean on the bio-bed.

"Billy!" said Sharon in alarm; she was clearly torn in finding out what was going on and in staying back to check on the ensign.

Jean looked at her. "Go; I will take care of him."

The cylon looked at her for a few moments then nodded before running off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Anders was trying to catch up with the hologram who was frighteningly fast. He was close enough to Q Junior to hear him asking the ship's AI rapid questions as they raced towards the turbo-lift.

"_Anomaly detected; 110,000 metres from the ship. Both vipers are undamaged and the occupants' vital signs are satisfactory."_

"What's the anomaly Xavier?" asked Q as he dived into the turbolift; he was kind enough to wait for Anders to throw himself inside before closing it and calling for the bridge."

"_Parameters unknown but it bears similarities to a temporal displacement in time and space."_

Anders saw the ensign go deathly pale.

"That's not possible."

"What the frak is going on?" demanded Anders; then he realized Sharon was not with them.

"Where's Sharon?" asked the colonial pilot.

"_She missed the turbolift by 5 seconds; I will direct her to the bridge once you arrive there,"_ said the AI calmly.

"Eh thanks Xavier," said Q Junior absently; then he turned to Anders. "I need to see what stopped us; then I can answer your question however your colleagues are well..."

"I know ! Just get them into the Xavier now while they are still safe!" cut in Anders.

"_That will not be possible Junior Lieutenant Anders,"_ said Xavier.

"Why not?" demanded the colonial pilot.

"_Lieutenant Thrace is currently approaching the anomaly."_

"What?!" shouted the two males at the same time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Rogers could dimly hear the doctor encouraging him to take slow easy breathes.

His head felt so odd; light and at times heavy. He had felt this before when he had fought on Hera's planet and when he had shot down raiders.

Always knowing where the shot was coming from but not as intense as now.

At the moment he was seeing figures which faded in and out.

A greyish dark cloud; suddenly turning black with streaks of lighting. It was in space; it was trying to rip one small craft and 4 larger ones to pieces.

He could see the other side of the massive cloud as it grabbed a viper and a ship like the Xavier and shred the two ships to pieces.

Rogers suddenly had a moment of clarity. He recognised that viper.

Jean was startled when Rogers suddenly grabbed her right hand like a desperate drowning man.

"Get away...Kara...Xavier...flee...sh."

Jean looked at him in shock; the poor boy's voice was actually sounding slurred.

_**Let me help. **_ Asked the Phoenix quietly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anders and Q reached the bridge in time to hear a furious Captain Logan ordering Kara to stay away from the anomaly.

Laura was already at the helm; she too was staring at the view screen.

"Lieutenant Thrace, get back to the vicinity of the Xavier; we do not know what that thing is." He looked up as the two males entered the bridge.

"Q status report."

The hologram quickly moved to the science station after glancing briefly to the impossibility that was on the view-screen.

Meanwhile; Anders was frozen in place.

He could see what looked like a dark storm cloud in space; it was huge and the Xavier was just 110,000 metres from that monster?!

"How far away is Kara from that thing?" asked Anders with his heart in his mouth.

"45,000 metres," said Laura in annoyance.

"Kara; you need to turn the viper around and come back...please," pleaded Anders.

"_Captain Logan; Anders; I'm fine...I just want to take a look at it. My sensors can't make out what it is,"_ Kara sounded a bit irritated.

"Lieutenant Thrace; I would advise you to get back to the Xavier now...because I'm not sure what that thing is," said Q Junior to Logan's surprise.

The turbo-lift hissed opened as Sharon joined them breathing heavily.

"Where's Helo?"

"_Right here dear,"_replied the colonial captain "_I'm still beside the Xavier...as for Kara,"_ he sounded irritated " _the view speaks for itself!"_

"_Q did I just hear you say you don't know what this is?"_asked a surprised Kara over the com.

Q Junior had a look of intense concentration on his face. "Yes I don't know what it is exactly...but I know what it's trying to become."

Everyone looked at him.

"In summary that anomaly has the characteristics of a stabilising wormhole."

"Excuse me?" asked Logan.

"A wormhole is a tear in time and space connecting vast distances with a relatively short hyper-space tunnel.

In Starfleet history there is only one _naturally _ occurring stable wormhole and it's months away from our current position."

"The Bajoran wormhole," said Laura.

"Precisely; the Bajoran wormhole has existed from more than 10,000 years and records showed it took millennia to form before stabilising."

"So what makes this different?" asked Sharon.

Q Junior looked up at the viewscreen. " I passed this section of space 3 months ago and it was not here.

3 months is_ way_ too short for a wormhole to be created naturally and further more I have just discovered the sensors I placed here during that time have been destroyed."

Anders felt ice form over his heart. "When last did you check on those sensors ?"

Q Junior's face was bleak. " 5 days ago."

"And you haven't checked since then?" Anders almost shouted.

Q Junior gave him a stony look. "In between being spaced and incarcerated plus running from marauding cylons and negotiating with paranoid colonials; it's a wonder I didn't have the time to do so!"

"Enough!" said Logan firmly " what's important is what we do now.

Laura take us closer to Kara's viper in case we need to pull her out of a fire and keep us at 75,000 metres. I'll get hold of Jean; maybe she can convince..."

"_Logan; we have a problem."_

It was Jean and she sounded concerned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

"_What's wrong?" _asked Logan.

Jean looked at the Rogers; he was holding his head as if he had the mother of all migraines.

"I think Rogers is a precognitive mutant; he's warning us to get Kara and stay away from the anomaly in space.

I have tried using my ability and the..." she remembered in time not to say CMS "...enhancer to communicate with Kara; but something in that wormhole is putting out a lot of psychic interference which extends to Kara's current position."

Silence greeted her words.

"_What do you mean by failure to communicate? I can hear her just fine and she can talk to us as well,"_ said an anxious sounding Anders.

"_Not that kind of communication," _corrected Q Junior in an annoyed tone "_Dr Grey is talking about telepathy; but something in that stabilising wormhole is blocking her._

_That is not good."_

"_What do we do now?" _asked Sharon.

There was silence for a while before Logan answered carefully. "_I have an idea."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Kara stared at the anomaly; it was odd. She had never seen anything like it and it was also strangely beautiful. On her sensors it did not register at all.

Part of her warned her to be careful; but the crazier part that always won out wanted to have a closer look.

After-all this joint venture was one of observe and collecting intel.

If they were on the route to Earth; then this anomaly was very important.

She listened as Q Junior warned her that the thing before her could be highly dangerous but she felt the hologram was overacting.

Besides she was 45,000 metres from it; too far for anything to happen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**Somewhere between dimensions...**_

General Q stormed into the new born star to find Q and Lady Q having a picnic.

"You!" he said with a lot of anger.

The Lady raised an elegantly shaped eyebrow.

"Why it's the old chap. Why are you here General Q? Here to tell us how naughty our son is?"

Q Just rolled his eyes and continued sipping his tea.

The general's jaw dropped in speechless fury for a few moments before he could finally speak.

"I have been searching for you for the stars-knows -how long and here you are having tea while your son wrecks the universe!"

Q frowned and looked at the furious general.

"If I recall; you forbade us to interfere and we did not. So we decided to have a much needed vacation. I don't really see that as hiding."

"So why could I not find you ?! Answer that! What tricks have you been up to?"

By now Lady Q was also frowning at him. "Wait, back up a second; you said you couldn't find us? Q; we have been in this star since we left the Xavier; feel the aura of surroundings and you will notice the duration of our stay here."

General Q bit back a retort and stretched out his senses.

What Lady Q said was true. When a Q visited somewhere an aura was left which eventually dissipated once the Q left but as long as a Q stayed there any Q coming could calculate how long the Q had been there.

It was one thing that could not be faked.

The General's face changed into one of puzzlement as he realized the couple had been telling the truth.

They had been here all this time; then why had he found it difficult to find them?

Q Junior's face became concerned when he saw the General go pale.

"General; what's going on?"

The Q looked at the two Qs before him.

"We need to leave right away."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Kara was trying to record the dimensions of the anomaly before her when she got an incoming call.

"_Kara this is Captain Logan...I commend your dedication in trying to observe this anomaly. However I need you to put on the communicator we're about to send you."_

"What...?" began Kara but there was a small shower of white light and an 'X' shaped communicator appeared on her DRADIS monitor.

It was identical to the ones that she had seen on captain Logan and his crew.

"_Q is concerned about the anomaly as are we all...put on the communicator in-case we need to beam you out. I promise not to beam you out unless it is completely necessary._

_Consider it as an insurance plan."_

Kara gave the 'X'shaped device a dubious look. "Captain; I don't think I need..."

"_Because if you don't," _cut in Logan_ "we will use the tractor beam and considering how different the hull of your viper is to Xavier's . There is the risk of possible structural damage in pulling your viper whilst it is being powered._

_I do believe you wish to return it intact to the fleet."_

Kara was silent for a while; then sighed as she pinned the 'X' com-badge on.

"Fine...I will soon be back; just let me get some final readings."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Logan hid the relief in his voice. "Understood; we'll be monitoring your frequency." He did not bother telling her he had also sent one to Helo.

Q Junior looked at him. "She's put it on; I have maintained a transporter lock."

"We should just beam her out of the viper," said an upset Anders.

Logan stared at him. "At the slightest sign of trouble I will...but not before. We may need that viper for the mission; remember that."

Anders had a stubborn look on his face but he was smart enough to keep quiet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

The three Qs were at the Romulan Neutral border at a snap of Lady Q's fingers.

"What the...?" started Q when he saw the stabilizing wormhole.

"Oh my," exclaimed Lady Q in mild surprise. She turned to see General Q staring at the anomaly as if it was his worst nightmare.

"General...I presume you knew about this."

Meanwhile her husband; Q was muttering to himself about the improbability of a wormhole appearing in a place it was not supposed to be and wondering who was the idiot that decided to create it at _this _particular location.

Especially when one considered that the Federation and the Romulans had fought a bitter war over this exact region centuries ago.

"I thought it was a side effect of your son's intervention. It was a small anomaly; barely significant...I wanted to show it to you...for you to understand this was his fault and yours."

Q senior stopped speaking to himself when he heard General Q's words.

"Wait...are you telling me that you noticed this thing when it was a mere speck then decided to wait until it became fully grown so as to teach us a lesson?!"

Q walked up to General Q with a furious light in his eyes.

"Have you gone stark raving mad?!"

"You don't understand..." started the general with a shout.

Lady Q walked away from the men as they screamed at each other. She tried to examine the anomaly with her senses. There was something very wrong with it...it almost seemed alive.

To make matters worse; it looked like the humans; romulans and klingons were also examining it quite closely.

That wormhole did not belong here.

"BOYS!" she yelled when she got tired of their shouting.

To her relief they stopped for a few moments.

"Do either of you know where this anomaly leads?"

Both men looked at her sheepishly.

"As I thought...we need to close it. I don't like the feel of it."

"Fine; well General Witless Q," started Q Senior acidly " since you found it...you close it. Because I'm certain this has nothing to do with Q Junior."

"Wait we need to..." started Lady Q but this time both men ignored her.

"Oh so this is my fault now ?" retorted General Q " well since Irresponsible Mr Q a.k.a you is not ready to do the dirty work.

I'll have to clean up your mess again. Again!"

Lady Q panicked realizing what the older Q was about to do as he raised his right hand. "No! Not now!  
But it was too late; General Q snapped his fingers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oma maintained the shuttle position at 25,000 metres. Not as close as the klingons but for her it was too close.

Even Atavi's excitement had turned to nervous energy.

The Tal Shiar had remained silent but a quick glance at him showed he was concerned as well. Mr Flint was keeping a close eye on the sensor readings.

"Ms Atavi. I think we have done enough for today."

The orion was silent for a while. "You're right; it's time to go home."

Oma released a small sigh of relief.

Shila looked at her with a mischievous smile. "Alright Ensign; prepare to..."

A bright white flash from the wormhole almost blinded the ensign before incredible forces grabbed the shuttle and began to shake it.

Oma saw the console coming up to meet her face and she instinctively triggered her 'ability' which stopped her from face palming the helm controls.

As Oma instinctively shut her eyes against the bright light; she heard Shila cry out in pain and heard a loud thumping noise. The Tal Shiar and the Lieutenant Commander Flint also shouted in pain and fear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The USS Dunkirk; the bridge...**_

Singh's eyes were on the screen when it happened.

One moment the dark swirling cloud-like anomaly seemed calm when a bright flash started from the middle of the mass and then large lighting-like tentacles seemed to reach out to grab the tiny shuttle in-front of it.

"Condition red; transporter room; tell me you have them!" barked Singh.

"_Negative sir! There was a huge energy spike and I lost the trace. The shields are also in the way!"_

Singh did not know when he stood up. "Mr Shran status report of the Infinity!"

"It's still here sir! It's...it's being pulled into the anomaly."

_No,no._ Thought Singh in dismay.

"Take us closer ! Lock on a tractor beam now !"

Lieutenant D'aran Tshula began to accelerate closer before the order was completed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Oma was not sure how she did it; but she managed to reduce the glare of the view –screen and eventually see clearly after blinking furiously. She also pressed several buttons and tried to reverse at top speed even though the vessel shook uncontrollably.

Wires were hanging down from the roof and sparks were flying from the helm.

"_Shield integrity down to 50 percent. Proximity to anomaly 12,000 metres and closing."_

Oma bit back a curse at the speed at which the shuttle was being drawn towards the anomaly. She tried to ignore the burns on the back of her hands from the sparks.

"Ms Atavi!" the cry died in her mouth when she saw her senior was lying on the floor. Green blood was pouring from her mouth and a nasty head injury. The orion had hit her head badly when the shuttle was grabbed by the forces that still continued to shake the small craft.

Oma could not tell if the orion was dead or alive; she glanced at the screen then looked back and was startled to see the Tal Shiar had managed to crawl to where the orion officer lay.

He also had a horrible bruise on his forehead. Apparently he had impacted a hard object when the ship had been violently shaken.

He touched the orion's neck. "She's alive; but she needs urgent medical care," shouted the romulan above the noise that seemed to fill the shuttle.

"Oma ! You need... to put out maximum power!" yelled Flint.

The ensign risked a quick look over her shoulder. The lieutenant commander was holding his right forearm awkwardly and he had a very bloody nose and a nasty bleeding cut on the right side of his head. He was also blinking furiously as if he had problems focusing.

The senior officer had impacted his station with the front of his face when the jerking had started and also hit his right forearm forcibly on a part of the shuttle. Oma suspected it was broken.

"I'm trying! It's not working."

"_Shields down to 39%. Proximity to anomaly 10,000 metres."_

"Why aren't they beaming us out?" yelled Nveid over the loud noise of the sparking consoles and constant shaking of the shuttle.

"I...," Flint awkwardly rubbed blood out of his right eye "my sensors are unreliable but I think the Dunkirk has approached us and...it's locked a tractor beam unto us!" Solius looked relieved.

"Sir!" shouted Oma. Both males looked at her. "We're still been pulled in!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

"Oh no," General Q looked at the havoc before him "what have I done?"

The other two Qs looked at him worryingly.

"Qs," called Lady Q solemnly " we need to work together. We have to close this anomaly now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Dunkirk shook noticeably as the lightening-tentacles that had grabbed the Infinity shuttle also extended to grab the saucer part of the Starfleet star-ship.

"Captain; we're being drawn closer to the anomaly, proximity is 40,000 metres. Shields down to 92 percent." said Tshula in crisp tones.

"Reverse course at maximum speed and get a lock on their signatures," said Singh calmly. The captain could barely see through the view-screen.

"Someone give me an analysis of those lightening tentacles."

"Captain," called Shran "10 percent of sensors are damaged ...however it appears the tentacles are draining the shield strength."

Singh did his best to remain calm; such news meant that the Infinity must be in a worse state than they were.

The andorian officer was still speaking.

"IKS Y'tem has attached a tractor beam to the rear of the Dunkirk. The USS Endeavour and USS Zeus have also joined Karath's ship."

Singh did not bother to ask about the romulans.

"Has that slowed us down?"

Shran responded quickly. "Yes sir; remarkably, but I am unable to ascertain the shield capability of the Infinity and sensors indicate that the gravitational pull from the anomaly is increasing. Current proximity of the Dunkirk to the anomaly is 39,000 metres."

"It's putting out energy patterns similar to that of a black hole captain," reported Mirta who had somehow ended up assisting the andorian Lieutenant Commander.

Singh hid the despair he felt.

"Chief McIntyre."

"_No sir; it's Ensign Cassius O'Reilly. Chief had to get to engineering to get some more power out of the warp core. I'm in charge of the transporters._

_I am also able to get a very weak lock sir; but once I attempt energising it's interrupted by the energy disruption from the anomaly and the shields. _

_My advice is beaming them out one at a time as quickly as possible. They will have to drop their shields for a few seconds and I will have to drop ours for a brief moment."_

Singh hid his shock at the fact the ensign was in charge of the transporters ; then he quickly realized that for the chief engineer to trust him with such a delicate procedure was a sign of the boy's achievements and the advantage of his extra-speed ability.

A few seconds may be all they had to save the people on that shuttle.

"Tell us when Ensign," ordered Singh calmly.

"_Yes sir."_ Answered the young man just as calmly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Oma tried her best to coax more speed out of the damaged shuttle as the computer read out the decreasing shield energy.

"We're slowing but...the energy from the wormhole is building up. If...we... we don't get torn to pieces we will eventually get drawn in!" shouted Flint.

He looked very pale; probably from blood loss and the head injury.

Nveid opened his mouth to speak , then stopped and looked at the combadge Starfleet had given him.

"It's the Dunkirk!," he paused to listen "they say they can only beam us one at a time. Ms Atavi goes first but we need to lower the shields!"

Oma and Flint looked at him in surprise but he ignored them and shouted into his combadge.

"Ms Atavi is badly wounded! Retrieve her on my command!" he looked at Oma who nodded and shut down the shields for a brief moment.

"Now!"

The seconds that passed seemed to last for an eternity; then slowly the transporter lights formed around the unconscious Lieutenant Commander and eventually disappeared.

Nveid listened to his communicator. "They got her!"

Oma and Flint shared a small smile; then the shuttle shook even more violently and Solius almost flew face first into the side of the craft. Oma quickly put the shields back on as another bolt of energy from the wormhole extended and latched onto the shuttle.

"_Shield integrity down to 19 percent. Hull breech imminent. Proximity 6000 metres."_

The remaining passengers shared a look of absolute horror.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**The Dunkirk; transporter room...**_

The medics and security waited anxiously for the body of lights to form fully.

It seemed to take forever but that was due to the energy levels from the anomaly that was affecting the transporter range but Cassius was using his mutant ability to compensate.

His fingers sped over the console at superhuman speed as he adjusted minute settings and finally the unconscious form of Ms Atavi lay on the platform. He waited impatiently as they carefully transported the patient then he tried to lock on the remaining survivors.

He ignored the increased shaking of the Dunkirk as he adjusted his readings repeatedly.

After a few seconds of searching he hurryingly spoke into his combadge.

"Bridge we have a problem!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**The Bridge...**_

"Captain; despite the combined efforts of the USS Endeavour ; USS Zeus and IKS Y'tem; we are being drawn towards the anomaly once again. The Infinity is almost to the event horizon."

The shaking had gotten worse; and already there were reports of minor injuries around the ship. The Dunkirk was now 33,000 metres from the anomaly and more 'light tentacles' were being attached to the saucer part of the ship and extending to the main body.

Shields were back on but down to 81 percent.

"Divert more energy to the shields and tractor beam. Engine room; we need more power!" called Singh

"_We're doing everything we can Captain... but the warp-drive canna take any more of the strain! The dilithium crystals are beginning to crack!"_

Then the transporter room came online.

"_Bridge we have a problem!" _

"What is it Ensign?" asked Singh as he felt his heart sink.

"_Ms Atavi has been retrieved but I have lost the transporter signals of the other three crew ! Sensors indicate they are close to entering the anomaly._

_Dropping their shields any more may compromise hull integrity!"_

Singh tried to ignore the startling fact that forces had dragged the shuttle tens of thousands of metres in mere seconds and were now threatening to drag the 3 starfleet star ships and one warbird into the anomaly.

"Sir!" he turned to face Shran. The andorian looked very worried.

"The tractors cannot hold for long !"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_Shield integrity down to 9 percent; hull breech imminent. Proximity to anomaly 2000 metres. "_

Oma stared at the viewscreen. So this was it.

No; it couldn't be, something was telling her she had forgotten something very important.

"_Shield integrity down to 7 percent; hull breech imminent. Proximity to anomaly 1300 metres."_

Oma made sure the shuttle was still trying to reverse before she crawled rapidly to Flint. He looked like he was about to pass out. The Tal Shiar was trying to stop the bleeding on the Lieutenant Commander's forehead; that was odd considering the fact that they might all die soon.

Oma grabbed the senior officer and gently tapped his face to Solius's shock.

"Sir! You're a teleporter! You need to get Major Solius to the Dunkirk now!"

Flint stared at her for a few precious moments; he was close to losing consciousness.

"_Shield integrity down to 4 percent; hull breech imminent. Proximity to anomaly 1000 metres."_

"Can't...need time...need focus...cannot leave...you."

Oma stared at him; then she knew what she had to do. A sudden strange calm filled her.

This must be what it feels like when you know you are about to die.

"You both must go. I will give you time. Tell my parents...I love them."

Solius looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

Flint was shaking his head as she stood up.

"_Shield integrity down to 1 percent; hull breech imminent, proximity 400 metres."_

Oma closed her eyes and shut out the computer voice and she opened herself up to the magnetic forces that she had felt ever since they got closer to the anomaly.

At first there was nothing then the power rushed in until she was overflowing.

Unbeknownst to her she was floating with her arms outstretched as she grabbed the 'forces'. At first she felt them trying to twist and escape but she held on firmly as sweat gathered on her brow at the effort.

Second problem...she was not sure what to do with them.

Then she recalled Magneto's book when he described what the force of magnetism felt like.

"_It's a subtle force; unlike anything else I have experienced but if you have the ability you can mould it into anything...a weapon...a shield. But first you must have control."_

Oma held on as the forces tried to escape her and for one brief moment she saw her parents watching her with pride and suddenly her hold was more secure.

She quickly envisaged a large shield and wrapped the 'forces' around the small craft.

Solius stared at her with his mouth open. "She's a mutant," he muttered to himself in shock.

He was still staring at her when a barely conscious Lieutenant Commander Flint grabbed him with his functioning left arm. He was repeating two words to himself.

"The bridge...the bridge..." he closed his eyes and concentrated intensely then he shouted. "The bridge!"

There was a flash of black bluish smoke and the two males disappeared.

Oma hung in the air hands outstretched on either side; with the shield around the shuttle as it slid further into the anomaly, seemingly oblivious to the computer which was now saying shield lost; hull breech imminent.

Then she brought her hands forwards and focused on the pure magnetic lightening-tentacles that were attached to the Dunkirk ; she cut each one rapidly ; whilst oblivious to the blood that was not running out of her nostrils.

Then she reached the tractor beam from the Dunkirk; she made a final cutting motion and the beam 'snapped'.

The delta flyer spun out of control and into the wormhole.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Singh was calling the engine room for an update when there was a flash of bluish black smoke and a badly injured Mr Flint and slightly injured Tal Shiar appeared in the middle of the bridge right in-front of the captain.

The lieutenant Commander would have collapsed if not for the romulan holding him up.

Security rushed forward as Singh ordered someone to get a medic down at once.

Singh knelt down as the Romulan gently helped the Starfleet officer lie down.

"What happened?"

Flint was muttering. "Must...go back...Kadretti...Ensign."

Solius looked gravely at the captain. "She sacrificed herself for us captain...she's a mutant."

Singh's lower jaw dropped but he had no time to response.

"Captain ! The tentacles have been severed...as well as the tractor beam ! However the unexpected severance has not repelled as it should."

Normally a tractor beam used on a ship going in the opposite direction was like using an elastic band; once it snapped there should have been a recoil but for some reason it had not occurred in this situation. Singh did not have time to ponder on this strange occurrence.

"Put it back on!" demanded Singh.

"We can't sir," said Shran in a grave tone " the Infinity was drawn in...however despite the severance of the tentacle...we're still being pulled towards the anomaly. Proximity is 25,000 metres.

Singh stared at the screen. "Maintain full speed in reverse and tell our friends to do the same. Advice them to disengage their tractors..."

"Captain Karath is refusing to do so sir...as well as Captain T'Laina and Captain T'shar."

Shran looked at him. His blank expression said volumes.

Things did not look good.

"Thank you Mr Shran"

Medics came and escorted the two injured males off the bridge.

Singh sat down and waited; he will have to deal with the loss of a promising young ensign later. Right now he had to save four ships with very stubborn captains.

Then as suddenly as it started the wormhole flashed a brilliant light which almost blinded them despite the view screen being darkened.

"Sir! We're no longer being drawn in...and the wormhole is gone."

The Starfleet captain looked at the screen in shock.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Decius...**_

Captain Maelrok tried to keep calm as she watched the 4 ships; one klingon and 3 Federation try to save the shuttle.

She glanced at S'Tokkr. When it appeared the shuttle was in trouble; he ordered all warbirds to stand down and observe from a safe distance.

Even though a Tal Shiar was on board the Starfleet shuttle that was about to be torn to pieces.

Maelrok was so angry she could spit disruptors. She knew she was going to get blamed for this when Tal Shiar Solius died.

She might as well use a disruptor pistol on herself because she would be tortured long before they executed her publicly.

Maelrok closed her eyes briefly when the shuttle disappeared into the wormhole. From their sensors there had been only one transporter use of one person.

She could bet her last meal that it had not been the Tal Shiar.

S'Tokkr smiled and Maelrok was tempted to kill the bastard; at least she would take one of those pompous idiots with her to meet the Lords of the Underworld.

Everyone was silent and a bit stunned when the wormhole also disappeared as well.

"Well; that's that," said S'Tokkrr cheerfully " Captain Maelrok please write up a re..."

"Incoming transmission from the Dunkirk sir," said one of the communication officers.

"Oh so soon? To apologize for losing a valued member of the Tal Shiar and cousin to the Emperor? I wonder what excuse they will give."

Maelrok froze at the smug way the idiot spoke.

The romulan captain had not known the Major Solius was related to the Emperor; now she knew the reason the older Tal Shiar deferred to him even though Solius had been of a lower rank.

Forget her own torture; the Emperor was sure to hunt her entire family down and have them killed for this.

Maelrok swore that S'Tokkr was not going to leave this ship alive; she was definitely taking him with her when she died.

"_This is Major Nveid Solius of the Tal Shiar."_

The captain was pleasingly shocked to watch the blood drain from S'Tokkr's face. He had clearly not expected that.

"_Due to the gallant actions of the Starfleet officers and the sacrifice of one of them. I am alive and well. I will be joining you shortly...after I send a message to the Emperor."_

Maelrok did not bother to hide a vicious grin as the older Tal Shiar left the room.

It looked like she might survive after all; it was a pity that she would not get to be present when S'Tokkr had his head handed to him. Literally.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**The Xavier; the bridge...**_

Logan barely had a warning when the wormhole flared violently and a whitish centre appeared. Several tentacles were extended which latched unto Kara's viper and seemed to draw it rapidly towards it's aperture.

The unshielded viper seemed to break up in pieces as it was drawn closer.

"Q!" shouted Logan and Anders at the same time but the hologram's hands were already flying over his station.

"I have her! She's in the medical bay!" said Q junior with relief.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Anders stared at him in shock. "What...are you sure...?"

"_She's here Mr Anders,"_ interrupted a clearly relieved Dr Grey _ " and in one piece."_

Logan released a small sigh of relief as Anders started demanding to speak to Kara.

"_Anders shut it!" _yelled a slightly shaken and angry voice which obviously belonged to the crazy female pilot. "_I'm fine...but frak I just lost another viper! Tyrol is going to kill me!"_

Her husband looked like he was about to faint.

"That's great!...I mean you're alive and well... not that it's great you lost another viper..."

On the other side a shaken Kara rolled her eyes in frustration.

Anders turned to Logan. "Captain; permission to go to the medical bay."

The captain looked and nodded. "Go; Xavier will guide you."

"Thanks sir," said Anders with a grateful smile as he exited the bridge rapidly.

Logan turned to Laura.

"Reverse at full speed..."

"Already on it pops," interrupted the female teenager without turning round "current proximity is 100,000 metres.

At first; Q and I were having problems but we are gradually increasing our distance from that _thing."_

Logan went still. "What kind of problems?"

Q answered this time. "The anomaly seems to be trying to collapse on itself one second and trying to draw us in the next as if..."

"It can't make up it's damn mind," said Laura aloud as she concentrated on putting as much distance from it as possible.

"What of Helo? Is he safe out there?" asked a clearly worried Sharon.

"He's okay; I attached a tractor beam to him once that thing flared up and his hull integrity is intact," answered Q Junior.

"Then we need to leave this place at the safest fastest warp possible..."started Logan.

"_Captain wait! Not yet!"_

Logan paused at the new voice. It took a second to realize it was Rogers.

"Ensign Rogers; care to explain?" he asked warily.

"_We need to wait a little longer...we go now and she dies!"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the medical bay; Kara and Jean stared at a distressed Rogers, even Anders entering the room did not distract them.

"Rogers are you okay?" asked Kara tentatively.

Jean looked at him for a moment longer and tapped her com-badge.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_He's right Logan...Phoenix says he's right. There's someone coming."_

Logan frowned at the doctor's words while Laura and Q Junior looked at each other briefly; then Xavier spoke.

"_Sensors have picked up_ _an object coming through the anomaly...it appears to be a Starfleet shuttle."_

Logan stood up slowly and approached the view-screen.

"Magnify screen Xavier."

The AI complied and Logan saw what looked like a small space craft identical to what was in their shuttle bays; the marked difference was that it was heavily battered.

It was a miracle it was still intact.

"_There is an unusual shield around it but it's losing power...mutiple micro and macro-fractures detected in the hull. _

_There is also the presence of a single weak life sign..humanoid female. The ship is in danger of dis-intergrating."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the medical bay; as Xavier spoke, Kara and Anders stared at Rogers as if he had sprouted wings.

"Oh Gods," gasped Kara with an expression akin to awe "you're a oracle."

A worried Jean tapped her com-badge once more.

"Logan..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I see it Jean. Q beam the occupant to medical bay, Laura take us closer in case we need a certain transporter range. Dr Grey; expect a patient and be cautious please."

To his amazement and relief. The two teens obeyed without speaking.

Logan was worried the anomaly would draw them in; but to his astonishment it suddenly disappeared as they got nearer.

What the hell had that _thing_ been?

"I have her sir...she's being beamed straight to medical bay." As he spoke the battered shuttle seen drifting in space exploded. The extraction had been done barely in time.

"And the anomaly?" asked Sharon in a worried tone.

"It's...it's as if it never existed," said Q Junior in a very concerned voice.

Logan spoke into the silence that seemed too loud and oppressive.

"Laura; I want you and Sharon to guide Helo's viper into shuttle bay three and once that is done take us out of here at warp 4.8."

His daughter turned to him. "Yes captain." For once her voice actually sounded respectful.

"Q ; you will need to assist Dr Grey in assessing the new arrival." He didn't know who he had just beamed on board but a threat assessment was number on the list right after urgent medical care.

"Yes sir," said a solemn ensign.

Laura, Sharon and Q junior left the captain alone with the now empty view-screen which suddenly seemed more threatening than when it was dominated by an unstable wormhole.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**In the place between dimensions...**_

Lady Q tried to calm her breathing as she and the other two Qs looked at their handiwork. She could barely stand and could feel her surroundings spinning round her. It was getting better but still very annoying.

General Q snapping his fingers prematurely had contributed to an exhausting struggle with the evolving worm-hole.

Closing the anomaly had finally worked but it had cost them a lot of energy.

It had taken a lot of will and effort to prevent it from sucking up the Starfleet ships and the Klingon Warship. A pity they could not save the small shuttle but 4 out of 5 saves was not bad at all.

The energy lost could be replaced of course but the last time she expended this amount of energy was during the Q Continuum Civil War which lasted months in Q time.

And this time the fight with the anomaly had lasted only a few Q minutes.

Now that was very_ worrying._

"What in the name of all the universe was that thing?" asked her husband in a raspy tone. He was flat out on the imagined green lawn and also breathing heavily.

General Q was on his knees; one hand supporting his weight from the floor as he too tried to catch his breath.

"I don't know...but whatever it was...I sincerely doubt your son had anything to do with it."

Q senior frowned at the older Q. "Well...that's reassuring."

General Q sighed at the sarcasm in the younger Q's voice.

"Gentle-men; we have a very serious problem," said Lady Q as calmly as she could as she sat down gingerly in-front of her husband and the older Q.

Q Senior raised his upper body with his elbows with a weary look on his face.

"What are you worrying about? We closed the damn thing!"

"Yes we did; but what if _what_ or _whoever_ created it decides to try again and attempt to stop us? We have lost a lot of energy already.

If this should happen again so soon...we will not be successful."

Both men looked at each other and the grave expressions on their faces showed they now understood.

"How do we proceed Lady Q?" asked General Q.

She looked at him and her husband. "We search and ask questions; who created it; where did that anomaly lead to and who was the idiot stupid enough to try to cause a damn war in this sector."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

**Hi everyone; hope you don't mind the length. Wanted to end this chapter at the right place. Hopefully it worked. Will be working on the next chapter as soon as possible. Thanks so much for all your reviews and for reading the story.**

**Please enjoy and have a great weekend!**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of the Phoenix and the Wolverine.

_**The Galactica; the CIC..**_

Admiral Adama was conscious of the whispers that died when he re-entered the CIC.

It never ceased to amaze him at the speed at which rumours reached all parts of the fleet. He tried to ignore the apprehensive looks sent his way.

That could only mean one thing; whatever they heard must be worse than what had actually occurred.

Adama looked around and saw that Dualla was at the far end of the CIC; she and another junior officer were apparently trying to fit a piece of equipment.

The Admiral had no idea what they were doing but was not surprised.

Doctors and ship engineers were very scarce within the fleet; they were more than worth their weight in gold and also over-worked and over stretched.

Since the Holocaust; Adama had found himself trying to recall basic engineering and mechanical training he had learnt in his first years at the academy.

Training that at the time; he had thought a waste of time when he should have been racking up high scores in stimulation flights.

Now; he wished he had spent more time learning engineering.

As for his son, Lee was currently in the main flight bay seeing the Xavier and the two vipers off; he was pretty sure that his son would soon be back and demanding answers.

"Sir," he turned to see a grave looking Saul Tigh.

"I have Xavier's shuttle and two vipers leaving the Galactica," he looked a bit puzzled ; no doubt wondering about the two vipers.

"They are just an escort...we will discuss it later."

Saul stared at him for a moment; clearly expecting more, however he quickly realized he would have to wait for a more detailed explanation later.

"Yes sir, " said the executive officer a bit uncertainly.

Adama made a point of looking around him slowly and was rewarded by everyone suddenly being more interested in what was before them.

He asked for paper reports and Saul handed a pile to him without saying a word. Adama skimmed through them while waiting for what only a few officers knew.

It took less than 9 minutes before a junior officer turned back to him; her face pale with anxiety. "Admiral...the Xavier and the two vipers have...jumped."

Her voice was quite low but someone nearby gasped and Adama heard some files fall to the floor. Beside him; Saul Tigh stared at the Admiral with barely hidden shock.

The Admiral decided to ignore the clumsy officer and his XO; he concentrated on the officer before him.

"I know; what is the condition of the fleet at the moment?"

She stared at him for a few moments; then seemed to snap out of her daze.

"All ships present and accounted for; there is significant fuel shortage in at least 35% of the fleet..."

"Will it be enough for a long jump ?"

She hesitated briefly. "Yes Admiral, but we will need to refuel immediately."

Adama nodded. " In-form the other ships...we will be going to another set of co-ordinates," he paused as if deciding something " skip the first two pre-sites and take the third one."

The junior officer looked more puzzled than before but agreed. " Yes Admiral."

"Admiral," he turned to face Gaeta who looked flustered.

"I have a message from the President and the Quorum...they wish to see you now; sir."

Adama resisted sighing. " In-form them that we are about to make an emergency jump and that I will discuss with them when we are in a secure location."

"Yes Admiral," said Gaeta with a resigned expression.

Adama felt sorry for him. He knew Roslin would try to bully the junior officer; but Adama could not spare anytime for politics and diplomacy.

He had to move the fleet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Lee was on his way to the CIC when he heard the ship wide announcement to prepare for a space jump.

He had seen the Xavier and the two vipers off less than 10 minutes ago; Lee was very concerned about the 'recon mission' and for a very good reason.

When all was said and done; they did not know what kind of man Captain Logan was and apart from seeing Dr Grey briefly and hearing her talk; she was also a complete mystery.

Lee had not had an opportunity to meet or speak with Laura; the captain's daughter, so she was also a mystery.

But to the CAG; the _person _who always worried him the most was the hologram.

At times his mannerisms or behaviour was so real, that it was very easy to forget that he was not human.

That made him very unpredictable and also quite dangerous.

He hoped when Helo's team got back that there would be more information about the Xavier and its crew.

That is if they came back at all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Lee worked into the CIC and was at once aware of the tense atmosphere.

He didn't blame them; the Xavier had just jumped with two of their vipers. With no explanation whatsoever; there would be a lot of speculation and most of it of the dire kind.

Lee wondered if they would be more scared if they knew what he knew.

He walked up to his father and the XO who turned at his approach.

"Commander Adama; Mr Tigh...my office please," said the Admiral before his son could say a word.

The CAG and the XO shared a startled glance before following the senior officer into his office.

The whispering started again once the three were out of earshot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Admiral Adama waited for a few moments; he looked round his room wondering if there were listening devices.

Then decided if there were...anyone listening in would already know what was going on.

It was days like this that Adama wished the responsibility of his post job belonged to someone else.

A discreet cough from his XO brought the Admiral back to the present.

"I'm sure both of you are wondering why I have called you in here.

Commander Adama already knows of the mission that the Xavier and two of our vipers have set out on."

Saul looked very puzzled and a bit hurt.

The Admiral took pity on his old friend and explained. " Captain Logan has gone in search of the cylons to determine their military capabilities and how they traced the fleet."

Lee compressed in his lips in a disapproving line while the XO stared at the Admiral.

"Sir," started Saul "could we not be overlooking the fact that the cylons traced us because of the presence of the hologram on the Galactica?"

Adama tried not to sigh; the XO's statement was odd when one considered that a few hours ago Saul had tempted fate when he walked up to the captain of the Xavier to apologize for attempting to kill the hologram and the captain's daughter.

"The hologram may be the cause...but what if he isn't ? Then we have a bigger problem."

"What if he hid a device in some part of the Galactica?" asked the CAG with a frown on his face.

"That thought did cross my mind; however he has been accompanied everywhere, videoed and observed. No one has reported anything...but we need to be sure," said the Admiral.

"Backtrack his movements; check very place he ever stood or sat, even if we have to tear the place to pieces...then we can be sure."

Both Adamas turned to look at Saul.

"That's the only way we will be certain," concluded the XO almost defiantly.

"I can have that seen to with Chief Tyrol's assistance," said Lee in a thoughtful tone. He suddenly noticed the intense expression on his father's face.

"Admiral ? " he called in a worried voice.

The older Adama was quiet for a long time before speaking. "What if we are overlooking another factor?"

Both men waited for him to speak; realizing that what the senior officer was about to say was bound to be troubling.

He eventually looked at his son and his best friend. "We never did find the remaining 5 cylons."

Two years ago, when the Galactica and the remaining ships had escaped from the holocaust; they had gone to the Ragnar Anchorage for supplies.

While they were there they had discovered the existence of the humanoid cylons; the first one they detected was Aaron Doral.

In retrospect; It was ironic that it was Dr Gaius Baltar who had noticed the 'man' was a cylon.

Unfortunately, due to an attack by basestars; the Galactica had to abandon the Anchorage and several colonial ships which had been unable to jump.

Shortly afterwards; Adama had found a typed note in his quarters.

There had been a single typed sentence '**there are only 12 cylon models**.'

Lee and Saul stared at him in shocked silence.

The XO was the first to talk. "You can't possibly mean that...you still believe that there are 5 more cylons that we don't know about?! I thought we agreed that someone was trying to confuse us!"

Adama held up a hand. "That may be the case...but what if...and I know this sounds odd... but what if they have been here all this time...hidden among us?"

"You think they are the ones who transmitted our location?" the disbelief was obvious in Lee's voice.

"Admiral; that doesn't make sense," started Saul in a terse tone.

The senior Adama turned his steel grey eyes on him. "Explain."

Saul took a deep breath as if trying to suppress a painful memory. "I was on New Caprica and from the moment that bastard Baltar made a deal with the cylons...all the cylons models walked among us openly.

They attended round ups and executions; not caring who saw their faces.

At that point in time; most of us thought we were going to die on that Gods-forsaken planet but one thing I can remember is that they acted as if they were the only cylon models in existence and were not afraid to flaunt it.

So if there are other cylons...of which I sincerely doubt, where are they? Why and where did they hide them?"

There was silence at Saul's question.

"We're forgetting something else," the two men turned to face Lee"...Sharon assured us that there were only 8 models ever made and only 7 have survived till now." The younger Adama waited for them to absorb his words.

"Admiral..._if there_ are really 5 other cylon models out there... shouldn't Lieutenant Agathon be aware of it?"

The senior Adama was quiet for a very long time. He trusted Sharon; he had to...maybe he was grasping at straws but his instinct was telling him not to ignore the significance of the mysterious warning about the 12 cylon models.

Maybe he had to leave it for now; but there was something else he had to discuss with his most senior officers.

Adama sighed wearily. "I trust Sharon, she has saved this fleet more than once," he noticed the look of distrust on the XO's face.

"Maybe I may be grasping at straws...but there is another thing you both need to know."

He saw his son go tense while Saul watched him warily.

"What I am about to tell you, cannot leave this room. Is that understood?"

He waited until the two senior officers nodded slowly.

"Just before Captain Logan left; he gave me this," the Admiral pulled a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and gave it to Saul Tigh.

The XO looked at it for several moments before passing it to a very curious CAG.

"Those are co-ordinates to a Starfleet Starbase which is 6 weeks from Earth...that is if you travel by maximum speed using the Xavier.

I have not had a chance to calculate how long it will take for us to get there using our own version of FTL."

Lee and Saul's eyes widened with shock at the implications of the paper they held.

"Why would he...what if it's a trick?" asked a stunned XO.

"What kind of trick...a trap?" said an equally stunned Lee " An ambush? Surely he doesn't think we will just go there!"

The Admiral held up a hand to forestall any further questions.

"Personally...I don't think it's a trap, if it had been he would have given us some co-ordinates for Earth and told us to go there if all else fails.

However my plan is to wait for them to return; if they are not back in at least 35 hours...then we will send a few vipers ahead of us to those co-ordinates.

Until then we need to maintain morale and discipline."

Saul bit his lower lip. "Everyone is going to wonder and speculate unless we tell them something."

Admiral Adama gave the two men before him a stern look. "At this point we cannot completely rule out a spy within the fleet...which may be another way of the cylons tracking us.

We also cannot let _anyone_ know of why the Xavier left."

"The Quorum is going to push for a full disclosure of the meetings sir," warned the XO.

As well as my head on a platter, thought Adama.

"I'll deal with that when the time comes. In the meantime we will refuel the other ships; travel at maximum speed for an hour then jump the fleet after 2 hours. Now gentlemen...let's get to work."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roslin barely noticed the odd looks sent her way as she walked to the Admiral's office.

She was trying to maintain a blank expression as her fury boiled within her.

How dare he ignore her summons to Colonial One?

Once she and Zarek realized the Xavier had left; the meeting had descended into chaos and the vice president came close to getting into a brawl with at least 3 representatives.

She found out later that Dahlia had sent an urgent message to the Admiral demanding he attend the Quorum meeting to explain himself.

The only thing that had terminated the meeting was the fleet wide announcement warning about a space jump.

Soon afterwards she and Zarek had made their escape from the meeting room; both of them determined to have answers.

Roslin had sent a message first; asking Admiral Adama to come to Colonial One for an emergency meeting.

He had replied shortly stating he was currently in the middle of an important operation and will see her when he could.

Roslin knew he was avoiding her; well since the mountain did not want to come to her; she will approach it with a battleaxe.

Zarek at the moment was nowhere to be found; which was for the best because Roslin could only trust her vice president as far as she could throw him.

Which would not be very far; thought Roslin with a grim smile.

Her mind returned to the present when she got to the Admiral's office doors, she nodded at the pair of marines on guard.

One of them looked at her. "I'll inform him you're here Mrs President."

"Thank you Corporal Hastings," said Roslin with a gracious smile.

She only had to wait for less than a minute before the female corporal returned.

"He will see you now ma'am."

Roslin smiled once more before walking in; as she passed from view her smile disappeared to be replaced by a determined expression.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

The Admiral stood up as the President of the 12 colonies came into his office.

"Ms President, please have a seat," he said politely.

Roslin looked at him for a moment. "Won't mind if I do," she said in a blank tone as she sat down carefully.

Adama waited until she was seated before he resumed his seat.

"How can I help you today, Ms President?"

Laura Roslin felt her lower jaw drop in surprise.

"Excuse me? Have you suddenly forgotten that we are missing a few ships ?

One of them being the Xavier and two of our vipers?!"

Adama remained calm despite the obvious anger in the president's voice.

"I am aware they are not present."

"Then where the frak are they?!" hissed the president.

Adama successfully suppressed the surprise he had when Laura swore.

"I can't tell you, because I don't know exactly where they are."

The woman before him stared at him for several seconds.

"You let them go after the cylons!"

Adama said nothing.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?!" asked Roslin in horror "you have put the entire fleet at risk! Are you insane?!"

The Admiral's eyes darkened for a brief moment then changed to a blank look. "Ever since the holocaust; this refugee fleet has always been at risk; right now the only way to reduce that risk is finding out how the cylons are tracking us and also earning the trust and support of the only ship we have come across that has a chance in Hades of defeating the cylons."

Roslin did not waste time in counter-attacking."You just sent them into the arms of the enemy! Practically giving them the Xavier on a silver platter and you talk of reducing risk?! You have condemned us all!"

Adama tilted his head to one side.

"Then explain to me how you would have done it differently?"

Laura's mouth formed an 'O'.

"That is besides the point!..."

"Is it now?" cut in Adama softly "Ms President...do you remember how we fled from a burning Caprica?"

The president was startled by this sudden changed in topic.

"What has that got to do with this...?"

"Humour me please," said Adama dryly.

Laura controlled her anger and answered curtly. "Yes, I remember."

"There was a time when we had to make a jump every 33 minutes because cylons were appearing once we had stayed in any area for that length of time."

A look of discomfort appeared on Laura's face when she recalled what had happened at the end of that period. She still had nightmares of that event.

"We operated for more than 130 hours without sleep or rest. Then we had more ships; more ammo, more food; more medicine, more pilots and more survivors.

And yet what we had then was _not enough_ !"

Adama's face was stern as he looked at the president.

"Right now the only thing we have in abundance is hope because of the Xavier, they could have abandoned us especially after the way we treated them, but they stuck around.

We cannot go on the run like we did two years ago...we would never make it; our only chance of survival lies in the crew of Xavier succeeding in their mission.

A mission which could be jeopardised before it even began if I or you went before the Quorum to explain what has happened lately."

Laura stared at him. "What about me ? You can trust me Bill...why not tell me?"

Adama returned a steady gaze until she looked away.

"Plausible deniability Ms President."

Laura looked back at him with hurt and surprise warring on her face.

"In this case...what you don't know won't hurt your backing with the Quorum.

When the time comes...I will speak to the Council but not before this mission is over." His expression was resolute.

The president stared at him; then slowly stood, Adama stood as well.

"If that's the way it has to be...then I have no choice." She turned to go then stopped.

"Do you trust him?"

Adama did not have to ask if she meant Captain Logan.

The answer was long in coming. " I have to."

Laura nodded slowly. "As I thought," she looked at him over her shoulder "I don't suppose it's not too much to ask if...Lieutenant Agathon and Lieutenant Thrace were also chosen for this mission."

The Admiral did not reply.

"Hmmm...don't bother," said Laura bitterly as she left the room.

Adama stood for a long time staring at the door; then he sat down wearily and held his head in his hands and found himself praying for some guidance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**The basestar, Detention Cell Section 12X...**_

Baltar stared moodily at the floor; he was lying on his stomach on his bed completely bored and halfway convinced he was going out of his mind.

Much earlier on; the scientist and former president had tried telling his fellow prisoner, Senior Lieutenant Daniel Novacek about what had happened since the 12 colonies had been nuked.

At first the man had listened silently as he described the desperate run and the ships they had to abandon at the beginning. Then Baltar began to worry that maybe he was the one being tricked and that Daniel Novacek was maybe a model of a cylon that no one knew existed.

He eventually fell silent and the man in the other cell stared at him with a frown on his face.

"What's wrong? Why have you stopped?"

Baltar moved slightly away from him; he was unable to prevent his voice from shaking. "You...you...why do you want to know so much ? You could be a cylon!"

The stunned look on Daniel's face was almost comical.

"What did you just call me?" he asked in a very dangerous voice.

Baltar's voice was shrill when he replied. "You're a bloody frakking cylon! I gave you all the information you asked for and yet you fraks almost killed me and now you want to drive me insane! What more do you want?!"

The last words were delivered almost at a shout.

Daniel opened his mouth to reply when he suddenly looked at something behind Baltar and his face shut down.

Baltar turned round quickly to find that someone had approached the cell bars while he had been shouting at Daniel.

But to his horror it was someone much worse; a Number One and two golden centurions.

"Oh frak!" whispered the scientist in despair.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Number One smiled drily as he observed the pathetic weak human before him.

He had come down specifically to see how the scientist was taking to his new environment. Oh, he could have observed him via the monitor as he had been doing for the past couple of hours but it was different when one observed an object face to face.

Especially when you were planning to kill it once it was no longer useful.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Baltar had stepped away from the Number One as far as he could; then he remembered there was a potential cylon behind him and he looked quickly over his shoulder to see Daniel had also retreated to the far edge of his cell.

The light in the colonial pilot's eyes was almost feral as he kept them on the cylon outside the cell.

Baltar hardly had time to process this new piece of information before the cylon started clapping slowly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is better than a Caprica Primetime show! Baltar you missed your calling...you would have been perfect as a comic," then he smiled mockingly " and just as dead as the other 20 billion humans we terminated; which I believe you had a big hand in."

Baltar suddenly felt someone else was staring holes in his back.

"I...I..." the scientist found out he could not speak.

"You are so modest doc; no worries I'll just wait until Caprica finds you," his smile got colder " then we will all have a little chat.

Until later Mr Ex-president."

Cavil left the detention cell with his two golden guards.

However one thing stuck in Baltar's mind; the red lights in the heads of the gold centurions were not moving.

That was when Baltar started hearing _her voice_ in his head again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"_**Are you still mad at me?"**_

Baltar stopped tracing patterns on the floor and quickly sat up; he looked at the other cell.

Since the One had come to the cell; Daniel had ignored him completely and the scientist began to wonder if he had accused the fellow prisoner wrongly.

He had wanted to apologize but the set of the man's shoulders told him keeping silent was wiser.

Baltar closed his eyes and tried to will the voice away.

The first time he heard it after Cavil left; he pretended it was not there and it kept talking until she got tired.

Now she was back.

"_**Gaius; please speak to me."**_

"Leave me the frak alone!" hissed the scientist angrily "you got me into this mess in the first place!"

He looked quickly at Daniel's cell and the man still had his back turned to him; hopefully he could not hear him.

There was a feminine sigh in his head.

"_**I am really sorry for everything...even the torture. I could not prevent that from happening...the alternative could have been your death."**_

Baltar found himself standing. "And did you not think for one moment that death would have been preferred to what I was forced to endure?!"

There was silence for a few moments before the voice replied.

"_**Grow a pair Baltar! You survived but not for much longer if you keep drowning in your despair!"**_

The scientist flinched from the mental shout in his head. Her voice continued.

"_**Cavil is planning something big, I'm not sure what; but I bet it has to do with the modifications he has been carrying out secretly on the centurions."**_

Baltar felt his anger turn to a scientific curiosity.

"What type of modifications?" he asked softly after checking quickly to see if Daniel's back was still turned.

"_**How the frak should I now?! It just seems like the centurions around him are behaving differently. Please don't tell me you haven't noticed!"**_

The scientist opened his mouth to speak; then froze.

He clearly recalled seeing something very different; the red light on the gold centurions. The ones accompanying Cavil; their lights had been completely still.

"The red visor lights."

"_**Praise the Lord; you still have a brain!"**_ said the mind Six sarcastically.

"_**You need to get out of here, before you outlive your role as bait!"**_

Baltar was about to ask what she meant as bait when another voice spoke.

"How did you do it?"

The scientist turned round slowly to see Daniel was back at the bars; staring at him with a cold mad light in his eyes.

"How did you help the cylons murder 20 billion lives?"

"_**Be very careful with your answer Gaius; the man before you is on the very edge of insanity."**_

Baltar found himself approaching the colonial officer.

"So...you believe Cavil; the cylon who had you imprisoned and tortured for 8 years ?" the scientist shook his head and laughed bitterly.

"Maybe I was wrong calling you a cylon; or maybe you are and you already know how we lost our homes! Maybe this is a way of making me lose my mind completely."

"I just want you to tell me..." started Daniel heatedly.

"I gave them the codes to the Colonial Defense mainframe," answered Baltar abruptly.

Daniel's lower jaw fell in disbelief.

"_**Gaius that's enough!"**_ warned the Six in his mind.

He ignored her; he had to say this, he _wanted_ to say this.

"And do you think I was forced!? Oh no; I was stupidly in love with a female cylon called Caprica.

Forget the obvious fact that I had no idea that humanoid cylons existed but I gave her the codes in exchange for a highly advanced navigational program the likes of which I had never seen!"

Daniel was now the one retreating from the insane light in the scientist's eyes.

The scientist kept talking rapidly in a shrill voice; not stumbling over his words at all.

"But brilliant scientist that I am," he laughed bitterly "who has won more awards than I can count! I failed to realize that the program which I convinced the colonial government to install in every networked modern battle-star was something else entirely!"

Baltar was practically spitting at this point. "It was a secret back door for an extremely virulent cylon computer program that shut down all the networked battle-stars in space killing the crew and also allowing the cylons to nuke all 12 colonies."

Daniel looked at him for a long time; he was seeing a man who was standing close to insanity. Just a little push was all he needed.

"You didn't know; did you?" said Daniel quietly. It was not a question.

Baltar seemed to wilt within himself ; then gave the colonial pilot a cold look.

"Congratulations on that brilliant deduction...I need to be alone," he staggered back to his bed. His energy clearly spent.

"_**Gaius; you're brilliant! Don't look now but I think he believes you..."**_

"Six," called Baltar aloud "shut up!"

He collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling; ignoring Daniel's gaze and thanking whatever gods that existed that for once the presence in his mind was keeping silent.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_But first you must have control._

_Must have control._

_Control..._

The last word echoed in her mind repeatedly; something had happened.

Something important but she could not remember what it was.

What she could remember was the blinding pain in her head and the rest of her body.

It almost tore her apart and now the pain...was receeding.

That was when she began to hear voices.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Xavier, Medical bay...**_

Ensign Rogers had been the closet to the empty bio-bed before it was occupied by a rainbow of flashing lights which appeared with a mild humming noise.

The three colonials had watched stunned as the astonishing display of technology which was the standard mode of transport in the Federation and most warp capable civilizations in the Alpha quadrant.

Kara was the only one of the three who had experienced the use of the transporters twice and the sensation of being disintegrated gave her nightmares. She prayed she did not have to go through that again.

However this was the first time all three had seen the transporter at work and they were not disappointed.

The doctor ignored them as she waited for the body of lights to fully form; when it did she approached the still body on the bio-bed with a small device in her hand.

Her eyes seemed to widen slightly as she looked at her patient's face; then with a determined look on her face she began to assess her patient.

Ensign Rogers found himself approaching the bed.

"Dr Grey do you need some assistance?"

Kara and Anders looked at him in surprise.

Jean answered without looking at him while she quickly programmed a command into the bio-bed's computer and started scanning the head of her unconscious patient.

"Thanks for the offer; but it may be better if you don't come nearer. The sight may not be what you would expect."

"Why would you say..." Roger's question trailed off when he saw who lay on the bio-bed.

The patient was definitely a young female ; quite attractively slim and clad in the same uniform as Q Junior.

A red and black tunic with black slacks and polished black boots.

Then Rogers began to notice other features; the back of the patient's hands appeared badly burnt and the red part of the uniform was stained with what looked like burn marks and darker stains that he suspected was blood.

He eventually saw her face and his breath caught in his throat.

Behind him Kara and Anders gasped and almost swore.

What stopped them from uttering the swear words was when Jean looked at them briefly with a stern look.

But Rogers was not aware of the doctor; he just kept staring at the girl's face.

Her face was heart-shaped; slim with cafe-au-lait skin and two slightly elevated ridges on her forehead and short cut wavy snow white hair. She appeared so peaceful except for the dried blood from her nose and around her mouth.

"It's alien!" muttered Kara in shock.

"_She's_ alien Lieutenant Thrace," corrected Rogers absentmindedly as he ignored the startled looks the two senior officers gave him.

In his mind he thought she was very pretty.

Before Kara or Anders could say a word; there was a low hiss as the medical bay doors opened and Q ran into the bay.

He glanced quickly at the three colonials before heading straight to the bio-bed with the unconscious female Starfleet officer.

"Dr Grey; how may I assist?" he asked calmly as he also picked up a slim device.

Jean looked at him briefly before concentrating on the patient she was treating.

"We have a young humanoid female; a human-klingon hybrid.

*GCS 3/15 but still able to maintain her own airway; so expect the GCS is increase. Blood pressure of 120/70mmHg; pulse is 92 regular beats per minute; saturations of 97 percent on air. Core temperature is 37.1C.

There's evidence of epistaxis with increased intracranial pressure, second degree burns on the dorsal aspect of both hands and wrists and signs of mild dehydration."

"She's...she's part klingon?" asked Anders in a loud shocked voice.

Q chose that moment to look at them briefly and speak in a no-nonsense voice.

"If you cannot keep quiet while we work; please leave the premises."

Then he turned back to his work.

Anders looked a bit embarrassed while Kara glared at him silently.

Before leaving the Galactica; she had not enough time to review all the notes about the other 'aliens' that were allies with Earth.

However she definitely did not want to leave the medical bay before she found out more about the new guest.

Rogers just kept watching as Dr Grey and the hologram continued healing the patient; he had a hopeful light in his eyes.

The three colonials remained quiet as Ensign Q and Dr Grey worked quickly and efficiently. Both would state observational stats and progress in repairing seen and hidden injuries.

Then Dr Grey froze; she stared at the unconscious patient then quickly looked at the colonials.

"All three of you should leave now!"

Kara and Anders looked concerned while Rogers was a bit puzzled.

"Why; we're in no danger..." began the ensign before every metal object suddenly went up into the air.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Q Junior's first inkling that something was wrong was when he noticed an epadd that was attached to the side of the bed, began to vibrate.

He was about to ask Jean what was going on, but before he could say a word several small and sizable metal objects started floating in the air.

He turned quickly and was relieved to see that the three colonials behind him were safe; despite being surrounded by a lot of metal objects ; some of them were quite sharp.

Q sympathized with them. "You three okay?"

Kara nodded slowly; and turned a frightened look on Dr Grey who was starting at the patient on the bed. Anders and Rogers were very pale.

"It wasn't me this time Lieutenant," said the doctor calmly "and don't worry I won't let the objects come near you." Dr Grey looked at Q Junior.

"We need to wake her up; she dreaming and thinks she's still in that shuttle."

"She won't hurt us," said Rogers to everyone's surprise.

Jean calmly looked at him and smiled. "Thanks for the update ensign." The doctor turned back to the unconscious female Starfleet officer.

"Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti; it's time to wake up."

There was no sign that she had heard her. Jean leaned closer.

"Oma, please wake up."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_She could hear her mother's voice telling her to get out of bed; it was time to go to the Starfleet Academy Entrance exams._

"_Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti; it's time to wake up."_

_She just needed to sleep a little more._

"_Oma, please wake up."_

_Then she realized something was wrong, she was to be a cadet if she passed not an ensign yet._

_And why was her mum begging her to wake up?_

_Oma slowly opened her eyes._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as the patient slowly opened her eyes; there was a sharp intake of breath when she saw Dr Grey.

"Don't be afraid; I'm Dr Grey and this is Ensign Q Junior beside you. Welcome back Ensign Kadretti."

The young girl wet her lips nervously ; she was having trouble focusing.

"Where...which ship?"

The doctor answered carefully. "You're in the medical bay of the Xavier; we pulled you from your wrecked shuttle."

The girl's eyes focused eventually on Jean's face. "Shuttle? What of the USS Dunkirk...the Zeus; Endeavour and IKS Y'tem? The Romulans?"

Kara's breath caught in her throat as she heard the names being mentioned. They had a ship called 'Zeus'?

Maybe the Thirteenth Tribe had not forgotten all their history.

Meanwhile; Jean shared a troubled look with Ensign Q Junior.

"You're the only one that came through Ensign," said Q Junior softly.

Oma turned to him and relaxed a bit when she saw the familiar red and black Starfleet uniform. Her eyes noted his rank and his apparent youth.

"We're on a Starfleet vessel?"

Q Junior looked a bit uneasy as he answered the question. "Not exactly."

Her eyes sharpened when she heard his answer.

"What do you mean...?" her voice trailed off when she saw three people in odd threadbare military looking uniform. She realized she did not recognize the uniform. Then she also saw the metal objects floating around and went very pale.

"Who are you?" her voice had an edge to it "did I...?"

"Ensign Kadretti," she turned to face Dr Grey.

"I know you're scared and worried. I was too when I first woke up on board this ship." Jean then kept silent and looked at her.

"_**I also know what fears you carry child; release the metal objects and I will return them safely. No one here will harm you."**_

Oma looked at her and felt overwhelming relief. "You're a...telepath...a mutant."

"Just like you Ensign," said Jean with a smile.

Oma nodded; then closed her eyes briefly and suddenly the objects dropped but never touched the floor. The three colonials watched in amazement as each object was returned to its usual place.

"Did the patient just do...?" Anders could not complete the sentence.

"I think she just did," said Kara.

Rogers was still very quiet just staring at the girl. Somehow he knew the objects had been returned by Jean but he did not feel like talking about it yet.

Oma opened her eyes and suddenly felt conscious of someone's stare; she lifted her head a bit and saw a tow-headed young man in his early twenties staring at her. He blushed slightly and looked away for a brief moment.

Oma frowned and decided she wanted to sit up.

"You're still very weak Ensign," warned Q Junior.

Oma glanced at her fellow colleague and snorted. "I want to sit up."

Jean and Q shared a wry smile and complied.

The young girl felt her head swim for a bit when she was upright; she shakily answered she was fine when Dr Grey asked her how she felt.

Her throat suddenly felt very dry. Before she could say a word; the doctor gave her a glass of water. Oma thanked her and forced herself to drink it slowly.

She definitely was not aiming to be sick in-front of an audience.

Oma took a deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts; first thing first.

Where the heck was she?

"I'm sure you're wondering where you are," said Ensign Q Junior with a grave look on his face.

Oma stared at him; worried that she may have spoken aloud.

"The question is on your face," continued the young man "anyway...you're a very long way from Federation space. Approximately 4 months and a week's journey by maximum warp."

The female ensign was speechless for a while. "That thing...that thing was a wormhole to this place? Did you create it?! How do I get back?!"

Q Junior held up a hand and made a calming motion. "Ensign Kadretti; we didn't create it...we were wondering if you knew what it was doing in this part of the galaxy."

"I lost my viper to that frakking wormhole; you had nothing to do with it?" asked the dirty blonde woman who walked up to the bio-bed.

Oma narrowed her eyes at the woman's defensive and slightly aggressive attitude which made her think of some female klingon relatives who had treated her and her mother with disrespect when they had visited the Klingon Empire as few times.

"And you are?" asked Oma as she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Lieutenant Kara Thrace of the 12 Colonies of Kobol. Now what the frak happened to your ship? Were you in a battle ?"

Oma looked at her carefully before answering.

The word 'frak' must be a swear word, the meaning of which Oma was not particularly interested in and also there was an odd look in the woman's eyes that Oma felt she could recognize but the meaning was just out of reach.

The ensign answered carefully. "The Romulans found an evolving wormhole in the Neutral Zone and invited the Federation to join in the investigations.

My shuttle flew too close to the anomaly and something must have triggered it off because it almost tore the shuttle apart to get it here...wherever here is."

Before anyone else could speak the medical bay doors opened once more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**A few minutes earlier...**_

Sharon followed Laura to the shuttle bay.

"We need to hurry," said the girl before she started running. The cylon had a bit of difficulty keeping up with her.

Once they got there; the girl was hardly out of breath while Sharon felt her heart was about to burst. Her chest hurt so much.

Laura ignored her while she started pressing buttons on a console near the bay doors.

"What are you doing?" asked Sharon when she could finally get her breath back.

"Opening the cargo doors," replied Laura calmly.

A look of fear appeared on the cylon's face. " Isn't that dangerous...?"

"We will be protected from space by a force-field and then we will get Captain Agathon to cut down power and use a tractor beam to guide him into the shuttle bay. It will only take a few minutes."

Sharon swallowed nervously. "You've done this before?"

Laura gave her a look that stated she was asking a stupid question. "Who do you think guided the shuttle you were in?"

Sharon felt her face go red. "Oh, sorry about that."

The captain's daughter just shook her head and returned to what she was doing.

"Xavier; I'm about to open the doors, what's our status?"

"_The forcefield is up and Captain Agathon is in position."_

"Thanks Xavier, patch me through to him," continued the female teen calmly.

Sharon just kept quiet and watched Laura.

"_You're on Laura."_

"Captain Agathon; this is Laura. I will be talking you through landing in our shuttle bay. Pay attention to my instructions and you will have a safe landing."

Helo sounded a bit surprised when he answered. "_Eh sure...what do you want me to do?"_

"In a few seconds you will see the shuttle bay doors opening; cut your power down and reduce speed to minimum. Once you are 120 metres from the open bay doors, we will use a tractor beam to bring you in the rest of the way.

Any questions?"

Helo did not waste time answering.

"_No questions Miss Logan."_

Laura's eyes narrowed at what he called her but she kept quiet and started pressing symbols on the console.

Sharon watched in amazement as the bay doors opened slowly. There was no sudden de-pressurization loss and before long she could see the darkness of space.

It was hard to believe that what separated her and the girl beside her from death was a force-field.

Before long she saw Helo's viper. He got really close then her keen eyes saw the small space-craft steady before it was drawn in as if attached to a wire.

The tractor beam had already been attached to the viper.

Sharon was wondering how the much smaller craft would go through the force-field until it did just that.

The cylon's eyes widened when the viper came to a rest just 40 metres from her. It was set down so lightly that she barely heard a sound.

Laura silently closed the shuttle bay doors; then lifted a thumb's up to Helo signalling that it was safe to come out.

Sharon saw her husband nod before he opened his cockpit shield.

His wife had a relieved smile on her face and hugged him tightly when he got out of the viper.

Both were oblivious of the silent teen watching them; until she coughed.

The two colonial pilots were a bit flushed when they turned to face Laura.

"We need to get to the medical bay," she said in a neutral voice before leaving.

Helo looked at his wife. "Friendly huh?" he voice was barely a whisper.

"Don't ask," whispered his wife back.

Both of them followed the young girl; but none of them saw the dry smile that had appeared on her face when she heard their whispers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**Medical bay...**_

Oma looked up when the bay doors opened to see a stocky-muscular man walk into the room. He also had oddly styled black hair and similarly coloured side-burns.

Straight away she recognized his type.

A dangerous fighter. It was in his eyes and the way he carried himself.

Living on the USS Prometheus as a child had exposed her to seeing war veterans ; a large number of them had been tired but the rest had been ready to keep fighting.

The man before her was in the latter category; but there was something else about him that seemed...familiar.

That made her sit up and start paying attention to her surroundings. Her eyes moved to the small x-shaped combadge above his left breast; the doctor also had it and so did Lieutenant Thrace.

However; to Oma's relief the Starfleet ensign beside her had the usual Starfleet badge but something about this ship was off.

The man stopped a few feet from her bed and looked at her silently for a few moments before speaking.

"I'm Logan Howlett...captain of the Xavier."

Oma went cold; Federation civilians were not captains of Starfleet ships.

"Lieutenant Thrace; Junior Lieutenant Anders and Ensign Rogers...I think you three should step outside for a bit," said Logan without looking at the three colonials. He had noticed the shocked reaction the young female Starfleet ensign before him had tried to hide.

"Why?" demanded Kara.

Logan gave her an irritated look but the medical bay doors opened again before he could answer.

Everyone turned to watch three people walk into the medical bay.

Oma noticed the very young girl in front who had a resemblance to 'Captain Logan'. Maybe his daughter or his very young sister.

The other two were wearing uniforms identical to the colonials.

Oma could feel her anxiety building up and felt like hitting herself for her stupidity.

This had to be an alternate universe...but which one?

Oma had every right to worry; alternate universes histories had been taught at the Academy and a few that had been travelled to either were almost identical or had a very dark version of the Federation.

Fortunately it was very hard to make a 'jump' to such a place unless you had a wormhole you could manipulate with a tremendous amount of power provided one did not blow the ship to pieces.

Dr Grey sighed loudly. "Q; what's Ensign Kadretti's quantum signature?"

Q Junior gave her a puzzled look. "It's the same as yours or anyone else in this room; why are you asking...?" his voice trailed off when he noticed how rigid Oma had become.

"What do you mean by quantum signature?" asked Anders with a puzzled look on his face.

The captain ignored him and looked at the new arrivals.

"Captain Agathon and Lieutenant Agathon, I trust both of you are well?"

The two colonials tore their gaze away from Oma and looked at him.

"Yes, we're okay..." started Helo.

"Good," cut in the captain; he looked at the young girl who was standing beside him " Laura ; the ship is already in warp; so please take our colonial friends to the mess area. I'm sure they will want something to eat."

The girl stared at him for a few moments before glancing back at the silent watching female Starfleet officer on the bio-bed.

"Yes pops; you guys can fill me in later," she turned to the 5 watching colonials "lets'move people."

"Wait," said Kara with a frown on her face " why do you want us to leave and what the frak is a quantum signature ?"

Logan folded his arms and turned to face her. "I'm about to discuss certain matters with Ensign Kadretti who is also Starfleet, you however are not.

Which means you don't have clearance; any more questions?"

His voice was hard and calm. Kara stared at him for several moments.

"No sir."

Logan raised an eyebrow at the 'sir' but said nothing.

"I'm not going."

Q Junior was heard to mutter a swear word as they all turned to face Rogers who had a stubborn look on his face.

Logan was looking fit to chew nails; Dr Grey looked quickly at him and spoke first.

"Ensign Rogers," the young man turned to her "the captain's right...we may be working together but there are certain things we cannot tell or show you.

Just like there are certain things your own Admiral will never tell us."

Rogers looked at the doctor. "She...Oma is worried...and scared," he sounded concerned.

Oma gave him a startled look that turned to one of frosty anger. "My name is Ihuoma Kadretti." Only family or close friends called her 'Oma' and this _man_ was clearly neither.

"I think you just pissed her off," said Laura with a small smile on her face.

"Rogers," continued the female doctor " we will not hurt her. Surely with your ability you can feel that."

Helo gave his wife a confused look and formed a soundless 'what' with his mouth. Sharon put a finger to her lips cautioning him not to say anything.

Meanwhile Rogers looked a bit uncertain then he nodded.

"I...I don't think you would harm her."

Jean could see that from Logan's compressed lips that he was running out of patience.

"Thanks for trusting us, please leave with Laura. We will speak to you later."

Rogers nodded a bit shakily then looked at Oma once again; the female ensign's eyes narrowed. She looked very displeased.

The colonial ensign swallowed nervously and joined his fellow colonials who followed Laura out of the lab. Rogers tried not to look at the frowning Captain Logan as he passed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oma watched the three people left with her; they seemed relieved when the 5 'colonials' left the lab. However she was far from relaxed; she was still unsure of where she was and was wondering if she had swapped the frying pan for the fires of Hell.

And then again Ensign Rogers had an ability ? She wondered what it was. Did that mean he was also a mutant?

"He's an empath with some precognitive ability," said Dr Grey " and yes he's a mutant."

Oma tried to clamp down her mental thoughts and cursed herself for her carelessness.

Controlling what one thought was one of the first things taught in the Academy. It was considered necessary because of the high number of empaths and telepaths in the human and non-human population.

This mental control was done to protect the mutants with thought abilities.

Some of the telepaths could easily block out the 'mental traffic' that surrounded them but a good number, especially empaths would go mad with so many people's emotions battering them day after day.

Also it was taught in the Academy that protecting one's thoughts was one's right.

Oma noticed the doctor was nodding her head.

"Good control...but you need to work on it a little bit more."

Oma felt her throat get very dry from anxiety and wondered if she was going to have to fight her way off this ship. Were they pirates?

She saw the female doctor sigh again and turned to the silent watching Captain Logan and Ensign Q Junior.

"Guys; start talking before she starts panicking."

"I...I guess you're wondering who we are and why we're here," started a nervous looking Q Junior.

Oma looked at him and the other two people watching him. She kept quiet; not sure what to say.

"First of all; this is not an alternate universe. I will give you a tricorder which I am sure you can use; so that you can see I am telling the truth.

Next our exact location is in a previously unexplored area of the Alpha Quadrant," he noticed the incredulous look on Oma's face "now, now; the Starfleet Academy history books and current navigation books show that only 29% of the Alpha Quadrant has been explored.

Due to the heavy losses of Starfleet personnel and ships during the Dominion War; further exploration was stopped for a short time.

But when it was restarted; it was at a much slower pace.

So there is an awful _lot _out there that Starfleet and the other races know nothing about."

Oma nodded reluctantly. "That is true...so how come you're out here?"

The look on her face was still one of suspicion.

Q Junior looked at the two adults beside him.

"I think you need to tell her everything...Q Continuum and all," said Jean softly. Logan looked at her for several moments; then sighed. "I agree, Q Junior. The floor is yours."

Oma was now very puzzled instead of being afraid and she noticed to her surprise that Q Junior looked very uncomfortable.

The boy who had to be at most 15years old took a deep breath.

"Okay...I have to admit that this is going to be hard to believe...but I'm a Q or I used to be a full Q.

And I brought Logan Howlett , Laura ...his daughter and Dr Grey from October 2006 to this present date of 2382AD."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**The Xavier, Ten-Forward...**_

On the way to the mess; Laura did not say a word to the 5 colonials following her.

That was fine by her because they were only too happy to speak among themselves.

And she got to listen to Captain Agathon try to tear Lieutenant Thrace a new one for almost getting herself killed and getting her viper completely destroyed.

But Thrace just let his anger flow over her like water down the back of a duck.

While Anders and Sharon were trying to find out if Rogers was okay by asking him questions like.

What do you feel now? Are you alright ? Why did you want to stay back?

Laura resisted sighing to herself.

There she was; a multi-million dollar killing machine and what was her current occupation?

Glorified babysitting.

Oh my; how roles and jobs change in life.

"We're here," she said loudly; stopping their conversation as they entered the brightly lit and coloured mess hall.

Their jaws dropped as they stared at their surroundings.

Wait till they see the replicators.

"You guys want something to eat or drink while you wait?" she asked calmly.

They all looked at her; with varying degrees of anxiety and suspicion on their faces.

"Suit yourselves..."

"We would like something please," interrupted Sharon "Dr Grey gave me some fruit last time that I ate...and I'm still here."

Laura could not help but smile at that. "Well; well...nice to see someone does trust us."

"So, where's the food?" asked Thrace.

"Lieutenant; I will show you how to use the replicator," then Laura's smile slipped "it's coded for only food and clothes; definitely not weapons. I hope we understand each other."

Kara stared at her. "You a telepath too?"

Laura's answering smile could only be described as lethal. "Oh no."

I'm something a lot worse thought the girl to herself.

Something in her face made Kara back down.

Laura walked to the nearest replicator. "Alright; name what you want."

Anders and Helo shared a puzzled look. "Is that how it works? You just name something?" asked a sceptical Rogers.

"Something like that," said Laura as she turned to the replicator "let me demonstrate...3 pears and 3 apples."

Right before them they watched the device in the wall and soon 6 pieces of fruit appeared on the in-built tray.

Laura picked two pears; took one and threw the second one at a shocked Sharon who caught it perfectly despite her surprise.

The female teen nodded as she bit into hers; the cylon's reflexes had been very fast. Much faster than that of an average human.

Now, that was interesting.

She turned towards the gaping 4 colonials without a piece of fruit and gestured towards the other pieces of fruit.

"Help yourselves people." Laura kept eating her pear as they each smelt their fruit as if not believing it existed.

Sharon started eating hers without any hesitation while Kara seemed very reluctant to do so. Laura was beginning to think the pilot suspected it was poisoned ; then the colonial officer spoke.

"I can't remember the last time I had a piece of Honest to Gods fruit. Must have been more than 2 years ago. It's just been frakking algae all the time."

Laura's eyes narrowed. The way Kara was looking at the apple you would think she was going to put in a vault.

"There's more where it came from."

"Where does it come from exactly?" asked a curious Anders.

Laura had a dry smile on her face. "Wouldn't you like to know?

Anyway since we're getting to know each other; could someone tell me more about the cylons and how they fight?"

Laura saw their eyes widen at her sudden change of the subject; she sighed inwardly.

This was going to be a long trip; she wondered how the others were doing with the new guest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**Medical bay...**_

Oma stared at Q Junior in shock.

"Did you just call yourself a Q? Is that why you're picked an Starfleet uniform with an ensign rank ?! Do you know what or who the Q _really_ are?!" her voice was a little high pitched.

"Doesn't sound like she believes you," said Logan in a cheerful voice.

The male ensign glared at him before turning back to Oma.

"Look; I know it sounds unbelievable...but its the truth.

First...let me be clear; I am a Q and was a cadet in the USS Voyager under the tutelage of Captain Janeway and when I left, I was promoted to Ensign by her. So yes; I am fit to wear this uniform and rank.

Second, I did bring the three humans from 2006, to help the colonial refugees...to help them get to Earth but there have been complications."

Oma caught the last word. "What sort of complications?"

She was a bit satisfied to see him flinch at her hard tone.

"Well...eh...I didn't exactly do things according to the rules of a certain senior Q. Eh...this Q is definitely not my dad by the way!

Anyway because I bent _that Q's rules! _My powers have been greatly reduced and now...I'm just a hologram with a few extra abilities."

Oma felt her lower jaw drop; she stared at Logan and Dr Grey who had slightly exasperated looks on their faces. They had clearly heard this before.

"Ensign Kadretti; as hard as it is to believe, he is telling the truth," said Jean carefully.

The female ensign was silent for a long time; wishing she had someone else here with empathy abilities to figure out if Q Junior (if that was his name)_ was really _ telling the truth.

"Maybe it's best if I just start from the beginning," said Q Junior in a tired voice.

Oma stared at him. "Ya think?" she asked in a sarcastic voice.

Logan looked at Jean and smiled. "She'll fit in just fine."

Jean just frowned at him as Q Junior began to tell Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti how it all started.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Several minutes later Oma was close to climbing off the bed and throttling the ensign in-front of her; hologram or not; Q or not.

Q Junior had started with when he took three people from the past and thrust them into the middle of a genocidal war waged by cybernectic life-forms on the 12 Colonies of Kobol.

He mentioned a planet that the _Xavier _had found and how it's crew had run into both colonials and rampaging cylons. He paused when he noticed the fury on her face.

It took several moments before Oma could get her anger under control.

"Do you realize how many Starfleet Directives you have come close to breaking? You have practically started a war with a cybernectic race! They sound like a version of the Borg!"

"Oh no! They are definitely not the Borg! I have met them; you clearly haven't. There is no similarity what-so-ever.

And by the by; I have not broken any rules; especially the Prime Directive."

"That is not the point!" argued Oma " the point is that you should have had someone more senior to deal with this..."

"That's why I picked Captain Logan, Dr Grey and Laura..."

"I mean someone senior from Starfleet!" Oma was almost shouting.

Ensign Q Junior frowned at her. "You're missing the point. This intervention was mainly to save Captain Logan, Dr Grey and Laura and hoping that saving them will also save the colonials."

Oma opened her mouth and closed it. "Why couldn't you bring the entire colonial fleet closer to Earth and also drop off Captain Logan , Dr Grey and Laura in on Earth; instead of way out here?!"

Q Junior rubbed his head as if he had a migraine coming on.

"You don't get it; do you? Look the Q continuum has its own version of the Prime Directive. There is a limit to what we can interfere in and even when we do; we're not supposed to make it easy."

"Why not?" countered Oma.

"Because," started Q Junior in an irritated voice "you have to work for it. If we make things easy for the sentient corporeal races; they will always expect that each time.

And whenever they are in trouble, they will wait for someone powerful to pull their collective arses out of the disasters which they cause 95 percent of the time!

The current predicament of the colonials was as a result of their stubbornness and ill-treatment of their creation.

Do I think they deserved what eventually happened to their 12 colonies? No.

But do I know why it happened? Yes.

Because they ignored their own history and also intervention three times in the past and because of that, I had to use an indirect way to help them this time provided that I did not make it easy for them.

_This _was the only way the intervention could be carried out."

There was silence for a very long time.

Oma stared at the clearly agitated person before her. She had no idea if he was a Q or not.

If he was a hologram who thought he was a Q; then his computer program was either on the verge of a complete cybernectic breakdown. That meant his memory could be lost without any possibility of complete retrieval.

However if he was a Q who was now a hologram...then the implications of _that_ was way above her non-existent pay grade.

This was definitely something for Starfleet seniors to handle; but the nearest senior officer was more than 4 months away.

Oma was beginning to dislike her current position and started to get off the bed. She almost passed out when a wave of fatigue hit her but thanks to a steadying hand from a concerned looking Dr Grey she soon found her feet.

But she had to lean against the bio-bed for support. Oma thanked the doctor for her help as she tried to arrange her thoughts.

"I can understand trying to save the refugees but excuse me if I ask once more why the three people from Earth's past. Who are they?"

Q Junior stared at her for several moments. "You don't recognize them, do you?"

Oma frowned. "Am I supposed to?"

Everyone stared at Logan when he started laughing. "Somehow, the fact I was forgotten is interesting," said the grinning mutant. Dr Grey looked a bit anxious.

Q Junior had a look of disbelief on his face. "Now; let me get this straight. The Academy teaches about the Q and all manner of races and civilizations but they forgot their most recent history?!"

Oma felt that she was missing something very significant.

"Ensign Kadretti; you're standing in the presence of Logan Howlett a.k.a the Wolverine and Dr Jean Grey a.k.a the Phoenix.

Right until October 2006; they were members of the X-men."

Seconds passed before Oma realized who was standing before her.

"No," her voice was low and full of shock "no, no! They died in Alcatrez! Their bodies were never..."

"Found?" said Logan with a calm look on his face.

Oma was at loss for words; some part of her was saying this was a trick but part of her wanted to believe this was true.

If it was; then the rest must be true as well.

Oma unthinkingly stretched out her right hand and the adamantium bound to Logan's entire skeletal frame responded.

_Snikt!_

"What the f...!" started an outraged Logan when he felt his feet leave the floor. The girl kept staring at the long metal claws sticking out of the back of his hands.

"**Oma! Don't**!" warned Jean. Oma turned to her and saw pure black eyes watching her and then she realized she was not speaking to Jean any more.

The female ensign released Logan and as he settled to the floor Oma was holding on to her chest.

Her heart was beating so fast that she felt that she would pass out.

Jean cautiously approached the extremely pale female ensign.

"We do not mean you any harm. We just want to get back home."

Oma stared at her with fear and wonder in her eyes. She still had not recovered from what she had done to the shuttle to survive the passage through the wormhole and 'lifting' the man before her had sapped the little energy she had just gained.

But her fear gave her new strength.

"You're them...you're really them...just as he described you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Who are you talking about?" asked a worried Q Junior.

Oma answered without taking her eyes off Logan and the female doctor.

"Magneto...he described you both and he was not wrong."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan had felt a moment of anxiety that turned to rage when he felt his feet leave the floor and he automatically triggered his metal claws.

When he first came into the medical bay he had been concerned about who they had rescued. Did she know about the worm-hole and who created it?

However Jean had telepathically assured him that the girl meant no harm and was only worried about her ship and her current location.

But God dammit! She was able to manipulate metal like a certain man who must not be named.

Was he cursed to run into metal-benders for the rest of his life ?

It took a while for him to realize that the girl was not attacking him; but testing him. And that made him madder than before.

He heard Jean's odd voice and realized the Phoenix had taken over; suddenly he was hoping the Phoenix did not obliterate the girl before them.

She was their best chance at getting in contact with Starfleet.

To his relief; Ensign Kadretti listened to Jean and set him down gently.

Then he began to worry the poor girl was having a heart attack because of the her pale complexion and the way she was clutching her chest. However he froze when he heard her mention Magneto's name.

"What do you know about Magneto?" Logan heard himself say in a voice that could have frozen lava.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oma was startled by the barely controlled anger in Logan's voice and by the closed expression on Jean's face. She looked at a worried Q Junior.

"Let's just say Magneto's not on the captain's Christmas list." The glare Logan sent in Q Junior's direction had the not-hologram shutting up quickly.

The captain turned back to Oma clearly waiting for an answer.

Oma swallowed carefully; as she tried to search her memory for what she knew about the X-men.

After Magneto's death; his children had published his memoirs and an autobiography.

One of his books which was titled _Children of the Evolution_ had been dedicated to a Professor Charles Xavier.

A man,Erik Lensherr had described as a treasured friend; a loved brother and one of his most powerful enemies.

A telepath, he had greatly admired and who had also contributed a great deal to the continual survival of mutants.

Lensherr had also stated that Xavier had been running the Institute for the Gifted which had been as a safe haven for mutants who were trying to learn about their abilities.

Lensherr had gone on to describe the students he encountered and their teachers. Those teachers had also been members of a team called 'the X-men'.

There had been students who are gone on to join that team of mutant teachers.

Two of those teachers had been presumed dead after the Alcatrez Incident of 2006. Their names had been Dr Jean Grey ( Phoenix) and Logan ( Wolverine). No one had known Logan's last name.

Until now.

"Magneto wrote about you and Dr Grey before his death at the end of the Eugenics war." Oma stood up straight; she knew from Magneto's books that he and the mutant before her had been bitter enemies.

"All I know about Magneto is that I share his abilities and that he wanted to protect mutants...no matter the cost.

Though I do not agree with all of his tactics; I understand some of his reasons.

But I am not him. I am Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti...I have my own beliefs as you do Captain Howlett."

He stared at her for a long time; then he nodded slowly.

"Next time you're planning to lift me...let me know first."

Oma looked like she was about to faint from relief. "Yes sir...sorry about that sir." She turned to look at Dr Grey and she looked very worried.

Jean had a sad smile on her face.

"I must admit that I know about Magneto's memoirs...I actually have copies of them but I have not had the chance to read them.

What did he say about me?"

Oma was not sure but she had a feeling that the telepath was scared about what had been written.

The female ensign felt very awkward but something told her this was very important.

"He was sorry Dr Grey...he regretted how he contributed to the destruction of the Professor and what happened at Alcatrez.

I'm not sure...but from his books; I think he blamed himself for your 'death'."

"Hmm," grunted Logan with an irritated look on his face.

Jean had closed her eyes briefly then looked away. "I see...maybe when I have time...I will read those books."

Oma had no idea what to say to that, so she just nodded her head.

However to her relief her heart rate was now coming down to normal; then a thought struck her.

"That's why you named this ship the _Xavier_, in memory of the Professor?"

Q Junior coughed. "Eh...that was my idea."

"And why did you choose that name, I wonder?" asked Logan as he folded his arms. "You never told us why."

The male ensign went a bit red. "I never got a chance to actually meet the Professor...but I got a chance to watch him a little.

He was an idealist; at first he was a bit naive...feeling that everyone could get along but not seeing the obvious stubbornness and fear that man had to anything new or different.

A fear that could easily turn to hate and thus lead to wide-spread destruction."

Q Junior spread his hands. "It took centuries but eventually man was able to overcome his xenophobic attitudes and that led to the Federation and Starfleet that exists today.

Charles Xavier was a great man and I see him as a person who accepted anyone, be they mutant or non-mutant and he would have adapted to this time with no problem at all.

That is why I named this ship the Xavier...because now you're dealing with 'colonials' who would have felt right at home in 21st century Earth when hatred towards anything different was the norm.

Consider his name as a sort of good luck charm."

Logan had a wry smile on his face. "I gotta say Q Junior; if this continuum business doesn't work out for you...I bet there's a career for you in politics."

His smile broadened at the look of disgust on the boy's face.

"Now that Oma has been told most of the facts, where do we go from here?" asked Jean.

"We need to tell Starfleet," said Oma quickly.

Logan nodded. "Yes, I agree; however there are a few things you should know."

Oma frowned at his words.

"First...the colonials do not know Q Junior is a Q, they think he's really a hologram."

Oma's eyes widened. "But...but is that wise?"

Q Junior sighed. "Too late now...however I am technically just a hologram with a few...upgrades so it's best I am introduced as such at all times."

"Second," continued Logan "we need to keep an eye on them all the time.

They want this ship and have already tried to kill Laura and Q Junior already."

"What?! And you let them board this ship?!" exclaimed Oma.

"I think I better tell you what happened exactly and why the colonials hate all things AI," said Q Junior hastily.

Oma shot him a cold look that said he was to blame for everything.

"Tell me rest, leave nothing out."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Several moments later, Oma was staring at the three of them as if they had suddenly sprouted wings.

This First Contact had the features of a disaster of epic proportions.

It was a miracle that things had even progressed this far.

However there was a high risk that things could change for the worst at any time; because the good captain had just told her the Xavier was on a recon mission in cylon controlled space.

She was beginning to wish she had not got out of bed that morning.

Her attention returned to the present when she realized Logan was asking her a question.

"Ensign Kadretti; could you please explain how you came through the worm-hole ? I was not here for your earlier debriefing."

Oma nodded and quickly explained how the anomaly was identified by the Romulan Empire who had to everyone's surprise asked the Federation for assistance.

The three people before her listened in stunned silence, as she described how she had ended up in their region of space.

"What ever possessed you to fly so close to the anomaly?" asked a astonished Q Junior "didn't you guys realize you may be drawn in?"

Oma gave him an irritated look. "The IKS Y'tem were much closer to it then we were and nothing happened ! There was no indication that close proximity was going to affect the wormhole.

In fact we were much further from it then the IKS Y'tem when the anomaly tried to draw us in!"

"The question is what triggered the wormhole...I don't think it was us either," said Jean with a worried look on her face.

"Ensign Kadretti, do you know what state the USS Dunkirk was in before you went through the wormhole?" asked Logan.

A look of panic appeared on Oma's face. "I...I was sure they would be okay once I dis-connected the tractor beams."

There was a look of approval on Jean's face. "You used your magnetic ability to break off the tractor beams plus the 'tentacles' attached to the Dunkirk. Well done."

Logan and Q Junior stared at the slim female teen in-front of them.

"That must have taken a lot out of you," said Q Junior in a concerned voice.

Oma was becoming uncomfortable with the scrutiny from the three people in front of her. She tried to change the topic.

"Captain Logan...permission to please contact the USS Dunkirk in order to tell them what is going on out here," she tried to keep the frantic tone out of her voice.

Logan looked at her for a while before answering gravely. "Permission granted Ensign Kadretti."

Oma was relieved and suddenly realized that beneath his grim attitude he was just as keen as her to get Starfleet involved.

For a brief moment she wished the worm-hole was still working but she was smart enough to know that such an anomaly on the Neutral Romulan border could cause all sorts of problems between the Federation and the Romulan Empire.

Problems that would surely escalate if they tried bringing a human refugee fleet with pursuing cylons through the worm-hole.

So maybe it was for the best that the damn thing had collapsed in on itself.

"You had nothing to do with the wormhole, did you Q Junior?" Oma asked with a curious voice.

Q Junior looked upset at the question. "No; besides if I did, do you think I would have been stupid enough to put it right on the Romulan Neutral Border?"

Oma looked around the medical bay of a Defiant Class ship that Q Junior claimed he had built on his own.

"No, you're not that stupid," she said softly as she wondered what 'upgrades' the Q had installed on this ship.

Oma did not know where she was or why exactly things were as they were but she was having a strange feeling in her chest.

It took mere seconds for her to recognize it as part fear and mostly excitement and to her surprise she realized she could not wait to find out more about the mess she had landed in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**Unknown location, the Colonial refugee fleet...**_

Lee straightened up his viper as he did one more fly by.

They had been in their current position for 62 minutes. He wished they had left it several minutes ago, but a few of the ships had developed engine failure.

The president was adamant that none was left behind so all had stopped and there were frantic repairs going on in the damaged ships.

"Come on, come on!" prayed Lee frantically. They had been here way too long. He had a funny feeling that they were sitting ducks.

His communicator beeped and he switched it on. "This is the CAG Galactica Actual. What's the status of repairs on the damaged ships?"

A familiar voice answered him. "_Commander , the last ship; the Adriatic has almost finished repairs but the Chrion is running very low on fuel. Tyrol is attempting a transfer as we speak."_

Lee sighed. " Good, but tell them to move their arses we should have jumped several minutes ago."

"_Yes commander...wait...DRADIS contact!"_

Lee had seen the dots on his DRADIS before she had shouted the warning.

It looked like the cylons had found them.

And the Xavier was nowhere in sight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Saul Tigh was in the CIC with the Admiral when the klaxons went off. Orders were given to scramble vipers and raptors as the officers tried to find out what they were up to.

"What have we got Gaeta?" asked the Admiral in a firm voice.

"20 cylon vessels; 18 are raiders and the last two...appear smaller than normal sized raiders. They are keeping their distance.

Our vipers are out of the bays and ready to engage sir."

Adama watched the screen with a thoughtful look on his face; there was something about the manoeuvres of the cylons ships that looked familiar.

"Sir, what are your orders?" asked his XO.

"Do not engage," replied Adama as he continued to watch the screen. He ignored the startled look sent his way.

"Sir?" asked a stunned XO.

Adama looked at him. "I repeat do not engage...those raiders are after something else." He whispered in a lower voice.

"The Xavier?" asked Saul in a low voice as well.

The Admiral nodded. "I think so, make sure our boys and girls do not fire on those cylons. What's the status of the fleet?"

Gaeta answered this time. "Half of the fleet has jumped sir."

"Good, keep watching and I repeat again no one fires at the cylons."

The worried looks in the CIC were more but Adama was going to trust his gut instinct.

Three more minutes passed; minutes which seemed like hours and then the cylon raiders suddenly jumped.

Everyone was relieved when they got a report that the Adriatic was now ready to leave.

"About frakking time!" muttered the XO in annoyance.

"Gaeta, did those cylons try to communicate in any way?" asked Adama.

The Junior Lieutenant looked puzzled. "No sir, they just flew round the fleet as if...they were looking for something."

Adama nodded grimly. "Jump the fleet to the pre-set co-ordinates once our pilots get back in."

"Yes sir," said Gaeta before turning back to his controls.

Saul walked up to the Admiral and spoke in a low tone.

"Why in Hades name did they not attack us?"

Adama looked around to be certain no one was listening before he replied in a low voice.

"Logan was right...they want the Xavier. Right now they don't know where it is and they must think that as long as we are in one piece...the Xavier will return."

Saul stared at him. "We're bait?!"

Adama nodded. "I'm afraid so...which also means that we still haven't found out how the bastards are tracking us."

The XO sighed. "We tore up every place the...ensign stayed in. Even the airlock, the cell and the medical bay."

Adama already knew of the search; a few minutes ago he had been visited by an irate Dr Cottle who was very upset about the engineers taking his medical bay apart.

It had taken a lot to calm the doctor down.

"Then we may be pointing fingers at the wrong person as well as looking in the wrong places," said Adama in a worried tone.

Saul appeared at loss for words. "So what do we do?"

The Admiral found himself thinking of the possible existence of 5 cylons models that no one had seen before but he said something else.

"We keep looking and jumping and pray the Xavier is successful in its mission."

"May the Gods have mercy on us," muttered Saul with a bleak light in his eyes.

"So say we all," answered Adama before he left the CIC.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

**Hello everyone; hope you're all enjoying the week.**

**By the by GCS is the Glasgow Coma Scale used to assess one's level of consiousness.**

**Sorry for the wait; but I was trying to write a longer one.**

**Next chapter will be longer and I will try to complete it soon.**

**Please read and enjoy! Have a great week people!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of the Phoenix and the Wolverine.

_**Cylon controlled space...**_

Cavil watched as Doral ran the simulation.

It was short but very impressive; however the Number One felt more work needed to be done.

"You need to add more," said Cavil before Doral asked him for his opinion.

The Number Five looked at him in disbelief. "Why? Did you not see the increased yield of our nukes?! They are at already 250 percent..."

"Add more Aaron," interrupted Cavil sharply "we have to be very sure or we may not get a second chance."

Aaron frowned and opened his mouth to speak then noticed someone standing in the door way.

Cavil realized that the male cylon was looking at something over his shoulder so he turned round to face another Number One who had a worried look on his face.

"Justin, is there a problem?" asked Cavil carefully.

"I just got a message from the scouts we sent to track the colonial fleet and the Xavier," he paused as if unsure of what to say.

"Go on," encouraged Cavil.

Justin nervously wet his lips. "As you know...we're able to track the fleet when all hidden 108 transmitters send a signal. We were still able to locate the fleet this time but only 82 transmitters sent a locating signal."

Cavil and Aaron shared a troubled look.

"They couldn't have found them that quickly; they only transmit on a timer," said the Number Five in a worried voice.

"Maybe we should ask Caprica for help; after-all she built them..." started Justin.

"No," cut in Cavil " we don't need her help. Maybe the fleet found the transmitters; maybe not...maybe one of their decrepit vipers crashed.

It's a wonder that those ships can still fly!"

Justin did not appear reassured. "But what if they have discovered the transmitters ?"

Cavil's eyes narrowed and he glanced at Aaron, "then we have to work a lot faster towards increasing the yield of our nukes.

However look on the bright side; at least we know where the Xavier is."

A nervous cough from Justin had Cavil and Aaron looking at him.

"Em...about that," started Justin a bit anxiously "the scouts have located the fleet...but the Xavier was not with them."

There was stunned silence as the two male cylons stared at him.

"What?" asked Aaron.

"Why the frak didn't you mention this earlier?!" demanded Cavil with a deadly look on his face.

Justin paled as he tried to answer as calmly as possible. "I was going to tell you, also the colonials did not attack the scouts. They just stayed there until the scouts jumped."

Cavil suddenly stood up and started pacing.

Where in Hades name was the Xavier?

He doubted it had run away; he did not get the impression that the crew of that ship were cowards.

They couldn't have been destroyed by the colonials; they needed that ship and its occupants.

Could they have gone to a nearby base belonging to the Thirteenth Tribe ?

Had they gone for reinforcements?

Cavil suddenly felt like he was running out of time.

"Aaron; this is a sign we need to speed up on those tests and nukes. How many have you already got prepared?"

The Number Five looked a bit startled. "About 80 nukes but..."

"Make more Aaron; at least 200 more."

Justin and Aaron stared at him in shock.

"Two hundred?! There is no way..."

Cavil stopped Aaron's words of protest with a glare. "Find a way Aaron! Our lives depend on it!"

The two men watched in silence as he quickly walked out of the lab.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The Romulan Neutral border; the USS Dunkirk; Captain's ready room...**_

" Captain's log.

Star-date 460220.34; November the 15th 2382AD; 1732hrs.

Location, the Romulan Neutral border.

It's been 72 minutes since the wormhole disappeared...along with Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti. There is a high probability that she may not have survived the transit...however at the moment she is listed as missing in action.

Reports from the medical bay state that there are 52 injured personnel; which range from minor to major cases.

Of the Infinity crew; Lieutenant Commander Shila Atavi sustained the most serious injuries and she is in a critical but stable condition.

Lieutenant Commader Klaus Flint sustained severe concussion injuries and multiple fractures to his right upper limb however his condition is also stable.

Major Nveid Solius sustained minor head injuries which were treated and after a quick debriefing he left for the Romulan Warbird Vigilance.

Due to the gravitational and electromagnetic pull from the anomaly; there have been reports of damage from around the Dunkirk.

Engineering has been working non-stop to repair significant parts of the communication array and also replenishing our dilithium stores from the USS Zeus and the USS Endeavour.

Our two sister ships also sustained minor damage that will soon reach completion of repairs.

While our allies on board the IKS Y'tem are also repairing parts of the ship which were damaged in the incident. Fortunately; there were no significant injuries on board the Zeus; Endeavour or the Y'tem."

Singh paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"Due to the damage to our communication's array; we are only able to send and receive messages on a very short range which is basically from ship to ship; however Captain T'Laina has relayed a message to Starfleet on my behalf to explain what has occurred so far.

The plan is to repair as much as we can while waiting for Starfleet to send further instructions.

Captain Singh of the USS Dunkirk out."

Silence reigned as the empath stared at the window.

He was not really seeing the stars but recalling what had happened so recently.

Immediately after the wormhole disappeared; he got the reports of injured and of damaged parts of the ship.

He barely had time to be shocked at the extent of damage that had occurred in mere minutes.

No one had yet discovered why the wormhole had been triggered or why it had suddenly shut down before almost drawing the 3 starfleet ships and one Klingon warbird into it.

And Singh felt no one may ever know why the wormhole had occurred in the first place or how it disappeared.

His main worry was that since it had appeared so fast; it may occur again.

Ever since Solius had left; the Romulans had been quiet.

That is until 6 more warbirds joined them.

Singh had asked for an explanation and the captain of the Decius had simply answered.

"We'll get back to you later Captain Singh."

That had infuriated the Starfleet senior officer but what prevented him for lashing out was the hidden terror he felt from the female Romulan captain.

She was scared of something...and Singh had an idea the reason for that.

After all ; the Romulans had not lifted a finger to help when the Infinity was drawn into the anomaly.

Major Nveid Solius could have died if not for the bravery of Mr Flint and the sacrifice of Ensign Kadretti.

The romulans had been prepared to let the Tal Shiar die despite the unthinkable repercussions _that_ would have caused if the romulan had died on a Starfleet vessel.

Singh suddenly felt pain in his right hand and realized that the fist he had made was digging nails into his palm. He forced himself to relax with breathing exercises.

He could not lose his calm; a lot depended on him.

A soft bell sound and a familiar presence at his doors; warned him that someone was waiting outside.

"Come in," said Singh in a calm voice.

His tactical officer Lieutenant Commander Telev Shran entered the room.

"Sir, you wanted an update."

Singh pointed to a chair. "Go on Mr Shran."

"Engineering has reported that our dilithium crystals are fully stocked but the repairs with the communication array is a lot trickier than expected; the chief has pulled even some of his personnel from the infirmary to assist."

Singh frowned "they need to heal first."

Shran nodded . "Yes captain; I understand but the Chief did it on a volunteer basis and they all went.

Forgive me for saying this sir; but we really need to get it fixed quickly and also get more ships here. Having 12 romulan warbirds staring at us from over the line is not pleasant."

Singh stared at his tactical officer. "We can't have more ships; we do that and the Romulans will _state _we are preparing for an invasion."

The andorian's eyes narrowed but he nodded slowly. "Yes sir."

Singh kept looking at the senior officer; he could sense anger and guilt.

"You knew her well?"

The tactical officer actually looked a bit embarrassed. "She was a good officer and very dedicated to her job. It's just a shame that she had to die so young."

The captain was silent for a while as he remembered friends, family and colleagues he had lost during the Dominion War.

Loosing relatives or friends during a war was one thing but during peacetime...was very hard to accept.

"Did you know she had a mutant ability?" asked Singh.

Shran gave him a stunned look and the empathy could feel his genuine shock.

"No...that can't be possible..." his voice trailed off.

Singh sighed "that was one of the first things the Tal Shiar told me; I later spoke to him at length in the medical bay and he said she kept the ship together long enough for Mr Flint to teleport to the bridge.

Also the ships sensors stated some...force from the Infinity disconnected the tractor beam and the electromagnetic forces from the Dunkirk."

Shran's lips were compressed in a thin line.

"She saved the entire ship," he rubbed his face wearily "stars above; this is hard."

The captain nodded. He was not looking forward to creating a vid-message for Ensign Kadretti's parents. If he recalled correctly; her father was a Starfleet Commander and her mum was an astro-physicist; both of them were based on the USS Prometheus.

Commander Kadretti probably knew the risks of being an officer in Starfleet but that did not make it any easier for a parent to accept the fact that their child was missing...most likely dead.

The soft bell sound at his doors interrupted his thoughts as he picked up on the familiar presence of two of his officers.

"Come," said Singh calmly.

A few seconds passed before his chief engineer, Commander McIntyre walked in with Ensign O'Reilly.

The captain had to strengthen his mental shields quickly; the amount of grief and guilt that he felt from the male ensign was troubling.

"Report."

"Shield generators are now completely repaired; the dilithium crystals and the warp core are stable. However communication is still a problem," McIntyre paused " we can still communicate with the nearby ships but long distance subspace communication is not possible at the moment."

"Do we know why?" asked the captain.

The engineer nodded wearily. "Aye sir; those...tentacles were able to go through our shields and practically rip a large part of the communication array to shreds. We're still replicating parts to replace it and it would take maybe another 2 hours before we can use it for long distance messages.

However we can use either the Zeus or the Endeavour to 'sling-shot' a message to Starfleet...would save you a trip over there just to send a message."

Singh nodded; he regretted the time needed but he could tell they had no choice. "Anything else ?"

McIntrye looked at the silent male ensign beside him.

"Captain; most of our sensors were also heavily damaged; we're working as fast as possible to repair all. At the moment 45 percent of them are still usable," said Ensign Cassius O'Reilly in a tired voice.

Singh hid an internal wince; all this damage had occurred during a very brief struggle with a wormhole.

In his mind; he was certain there was no way the small shuttle could have made it through intact.

Even if the Ensign Kadretti had used her ability.

"**You need to speak to the boy captain."**

Singh looked at the chief engineer who was also a telepath.

"**I canna get through to him...I know he blames himself for Ensign Kadretti's death; he's also working himself into the ground in order to deal with his grief.**

**It was a miracle that he was able to get Ms Atavi back to us...even I wouldna have succeeded."**

"**Leave it with me Chief...and thanks for bringing this matter to my attention,"** mindspoke the captain.

Singh turned to look at the three Starfleet officers before him.

"I appreciate everything all of you have done; we will be awaiting directives from Starfleet. In the meantime everyone should be observant.

Return to your duties ; however Mr O'Reilly please stay behind."

There was a resigned look on the boy's face as the two senior officers left the room.

Captain Singh could sense the boy's weary and gloomy mood; he realized the boy thought he was being asked to stay behind to be reprimanded.

"Ensign; have a seat."

"Yes sir," the teenager waited for his captain to be seated before he sat.

Singh got straight to the point.

"You are not at fault for Ensign Kadretti's disappearance."

Cassius O'Reilly looked slightly startled ; then a bleak look appeared on his face.

"Permission to speak sir."

Singh stared at him for a few moments; then nodded.

The boy took a deep breath before speaking.

"I was given an order to retrieve the occupants of the Infinity.

Despite my ability and the fact that I majored in Engineering...I failed.

I let Oma die."

Singh saw the wetness in the boy's eyes and to his relief no tears fell. The captain waited for more to be said but it was clear that the ensign was in no position to say anything else.

"Mr O'Reilly...during the war, I watched officers under my command die. I couldn't save them and even now I still wonder if there was a way I could prevented even one death.

What you are experiencing; is very difficult to accept...but you must know one thing.

You did not fail; I have heard that only you could have been _fast enough _to save Ms Atavi...and by saving her ; you also saved Mr Flint and Major Solius."

O'Reilly looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Singh continued. "Do you know the extent of Ms Atavi's injuries ? If you had not got her out when you did...she would have died.

Also by removing her; Mr Flint was able to focus on removing one more person...Major Solius but at that point the ship was on the verge of being torn apart."

The captain clasped his hands and leaned forward. "It appears the Infinity was being held together by Ensign Kadretti's magnetism powers."

O'reilly gaped at him. "That's ...that's not possible sir. She was not a mutant. We attended the same classes at the Academy!"

Singh could sense the boy's genuine shock. Part of him wondered why the girl had hid her ability. Mutant abilities were extremely rare in human-hybrids but were greatly treasured when discovered.

This was because only less than 0.02 percent of human hybrids showed a mutant ability.

"Major Solius has confirmed it; as well as Mr Flint. Also the minimal sensor readings we have been able to decipher show that the shields of the Infinity had failed completely but had been replaced by a strange electromagnetic shield.

I also believe she disconnected the tractor beam and the strange EMG tentacles.

Ms Kadretti saved the crew of the Infinity and also the ship.

I doubt she would accept you blaming yourself for something that was not for-seen by anyone.

That would not do her memory justice."

There was silence for a long time; then the Ensign looked at the captain.

"Sir...she's dead; isn't she?"

Singh was very reluctant to reply but he had to say something.

"I don't know Ensign...but that is a possibility we need to consider."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The captain stared at the door long after the Ensign left. At the end of the talk; the guilt and grief were still present in Mr O'Reilly and the captain felt those emotions would be present for a long time; but a new feeling of determination had been added.

_That_ was better than his previous state of mind.

Singh had ordered the boy to get some sleep at once; for the next 2 hours at least before returning to duty.

The captain's thoughts returned to the wormhole incident; there was something else troubling him that he needed to discuss with two of his senior officers.

Singh pressed the com-badge. "Mr Shran and Mr Bishop; please come to the ready room."

When the two officers turned up; it was to find him on his feet.

Bishop and Shran both had slightly anxious looks on their faces.

"Gentleman; what are the Romulans doing at the moment?"

Bishop frowned. "Simply sitting there across the line; staring at us. No more messages have been sent. Is there a problem captain?"

The captain was silent for a while before replying.

"Soon after we got Major Solius and Mr Flint back on board. I had a chat with the major.

He wanted to send a message first to the Decius; he didn't seem to mind my presence." Singh paused.

"But I felt a lot of rage and some guilt coming for the romulan."

Telev raised an eyebrow and one blue antenna. "Guilt? I doubt a Tal Shiar knows such a word exists."

Bishop nodded in agreement.

Sing smiled dryly. "I had the same thought myself...so after he was treated I asked him to explain why the Romulans withheld the fact that they tried to send a ship into the wormhole before we got here."

"They did what?" the stunned expression on Commander Bishop's face quickly turned to one of controlled anger.

"Why am I not surprised," said Shran through gritted teeth "how did you know ?"

Singh shook his head. "I didn't; I was bluffing and he didn't deny it."

Bishop and Shran shared a surprised look.

The captain was not done as he replayed the terse conversation he had with the Tal Shiar in the medical bay.

"His exact words were...let it not be said that 2 unmanned crafts were sent towards the anomaly and that both were grabbed by light tentacles and destroyed."

"Captain; they knew this...and they said nothing," said Bishop in a hard voice "that was why the other Romulan ships did not come near us when we were being dragged towards the wormhole."

"Then why did Major Solius get on board the Infinity?" asked Shran " he knew the risks."

Singh rubbed the lower part of his face. "I asked him why...he stated he actually thought the wormhole was now stable and was certainly not going to let the Federation be the first ones to travel through it and laying claim to the other side."

"But the Infinity had no plans to enter it in the first place," hissed Bishop.

Shran laughed bitterly. "He didn't trust us Commander; that's why he wanted to come as well!"

"But we must acknowledge that he did suggest that Ms Atavi be transported to safety first; that saved her life," said Singh "then again if he had _mentioned_ what happened to their unmanned crafts...maybe I would have taken more precautions."

"No maybe about it captain," said Bishop grimly " if we had known this; we wouldn't have let a manned shuttle that close to the anomaly. It's because of the Romulans that we lost an ensign and almost lost 3 Starfleet ships and one klingon warbird!"

"I agree sir; the tentacles of the anomaly decreased our shields to 52 percent in less than 3 minutes...we could have been destroyed," said Shran with a heated look on his face.

"Be that as it may; he still took a great risk telling us," said Singh in a thoughtful tone "come to think of it...he's unlike any Tal Shiar I have ever met.

We need more information about him."

Shran nodded. "Already on it sir; it will take a while but I will do what I can.

Will you tell Starfleet about this...omission ?"

Singh was silent for a few moments. " I will inform Starfleet but not now. Solius may be the best Tal Shiar we can relate with...so keep this close to your chests gentlemen, I don't think this is over yet."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Singh watched the vid-message he had prepared for Ensign Kadretti's parents.

He hated this part of his job; but he had to do it.

The captain pressed symbols on his desk-com; it was time to send the message via the communications array of the USS Zeus.

He knew from experience that delays in sending messages of missing or dead personnel to their next of kin was not acceptable; he only wish he could tell them in person.

However what he had in mind was to try and contact the USS Prometheus through the USS Zeus and try to speak to the ensign's father.

But he had to keep in mind that he may not get the parents on his first try; they may be off the ship or on duty.

Singh pressed some more symbols and waited for a response from the USS Zeus. It did not take long before he got confirmation that he had a secure line to the USS Prometheus.

Singh froze when he saw it's location and current status.

Talk about coincidences and the sad irony of the current situation.

The ship was in orbit above Bajor and most of it's crew were on long overdue shore leave.

Something told Singh that Kadretti's parents may not be on the ship.

He first tried to contact the captain of the ship and was relieved when someone answered.

His desk top screen changed from the Starfleet insignia to show the attractive face of Captain Brenia E'Kalez.

She looked a bit surprised.

"Good day Captain E'Kalez; we haven't met. I am Captain Singh of the USS Dunkirk."

The red skinned female officer smiled back at him. "Nice to meet you, Captain Singh; though I am a bit curious as to know why you're speaking to me via the communications of the USS Zeus...from the Romulan Neutral border," then her smile changed to one of concern "do you require assistance?"

Singh sighed. "Not at the moment Captain and I appreciate the offer...but I was trying to reach Commander Kadretti and his wife. It's about their daughter Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti."

Brenia's expression changed to one of dread. "What happened?"

"She's missing in action Captain," replied Singh.

Brenia's eyes narrowed. "Did the Romulans take her?"

Singh knew he was millions of miles away from her but he clearly heard the hidden rage in her voice.

"No; it's not what you think. I really need to speak to her parents."

Brenia stared at him for a few moments. "Captain Singh; the Kadrettis are currently on shore leave on Bajor in the Mhonir region."

She paused and waited for that piece of information to sink in.

Singh closed his eyes briefly; matters had now gotten complicated.

He knew of the Mhonir region; when he had visited Bajor during the war he had heard tales of that particular rugged , heavily forested area.

It held certain significance in Bajoran history because it had been one of the places for the Resistance to hide during the Cardassian occupation.

Because of one prominent factor.

It was an electronic dead zone.

Landers on the ground could not enter it; subspace communicators and transporters would not work there and aircrafts which flew too close to the ground would have engine failure and crash.

It was the Bermuda Triangle of Bajor and the Resistance had loved the area while the Cardassians had hated it with a passion.

There was a rumour that they tried several times to bombard it from orbit; but for some inexplicable reason; the missiles never detonated.

Many religious bajorans believed that the Prophets had blessed the area and made it a sanctuary for the Resistance.

Now that Bajor was free and a part of the Federation; the Mhonir region was a popular tourist destination for people who did not mind trekking into the area and leaving behind technology for a short period.

"Someone will have to go in there by foot or air to inform them; so please; tell me what happened."

Singh frowned. "Did you just say air? But aircraft cannot fly in that area...?" His voice stopped in mid sentence when Brenia moved so that he could see part of the huge black feathered wings that protruded from her back.

"Satisfied now captain? Now; what happened?" she asked again in a firm tone.

Singh sighed. "You do realize that I can't tell you everything."

The captain of the USS Prometheus glared at him for a while; then took a deep breath. "Then tell me what you can."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**USS Prometheus; the captain's ready room...**_

Brenia stared at the Starfleet insignia on her desk-com. Captain Singh had just sighed off a few minutes ago but it felt like decades had passed since he first called her.

The captain of the USS Prometheus marshalled her thoughts and sent several messages to a certain location in Starfleet Headquarters on Earth.

To her relief she got a reply shortly; she nodded grimly when she saw the message.

Then she sent one urgent message to her chief security officer Lieutenant Commander Brian Demarce.

He was currently on board DS9; then all she could do was wait.

She suddenly felt restricted and stood up so as to try and stretch the 6 feet wings that she kept folded at her back.

Brenia understood why Singh tried to inform the Kadrettis directly; next of kin who were civilians usually got the sad news late.

It was unavoidable because of certain security issues; so when most messages reached civilians it usually started with 'we regret to inform you of the loss of your family member who died in the line of duty'.

Sensitive information of the location or mission was usually left out.

But even for Starfleet officers who had lost enlisted relatives; they also got an abridged version with a little bit more detail. The major difference was that they got the message a lot faster.

Brenia was not satisfied with the version of events that Singh had given her and she was certain that Trey and Nadia would feel the same way.

She was certain about this because she knew their secret.

More than 8 years ago; Brenia was the chief security officer of the USS Dunkirk under Captain Lorna Steinberg and second in command Commander Eran Wrenar.

She had been woken up in the middle of the night and ordered to report to the medical bay. When she got there she noticed straight away that a young scared looking Ihuoma Kadretti was sitting on a bio-bed surrounded by her worried parents, Dr Kalman and Captain Steinberg.

It didn't take long for Brenia to find out that her god-daughter was a mutant.

She had been surprised by the news because of how rare it was to find the mutant gene _and _a ability in a human-hybrid.

The congratulations died on her lips when she saw the look of dread on the faces of the parents.

Once the adults moved away from the confused child; Brenia found out why and she understood.

Many people who met Brenia for the first time saw a 5 foot 11 slim humanoid female with ruby red skin and slightly curly night-black shoulder length hair. Her face was oval shaped; with black pupils with red irises but her most outstanding features were her 6 foot long red and black feathered wings.

Most thought at first that she was a member of one of alien races which made up the Federation.

Then they saw her red and black feathered wings and thought she was a human-hybrid and thus labelled her as one of the 0.02 percent of human hybrids with a mutant ability.

What they did not realize was that she was completely human; she had inherited her wings from her mother and her ruby red skin and teleporting ability from her father.

On Earth and many of it's colonies; no one gave her second glance; but here in space many non-humans seemed quite curious about her.

A good number of non-human scientists had asked if she would not mind being included in research concerning human-hybrids with mutant abilities.

Brenia had lost count of numerous times that she had explained she was not a human-hybrid; that she was completely human and that she was not interested in being part of their research.

Most of those scientists had not believed her.

Neither had the two Tal Shiar who had come on board the USS Prometheus at the beginning of the Dominion War.

After almost scaring an 11 year old Oma to death; the female romulan officer actually had the guts to request that Brenia be transferred to her ship in order to act as a 'liaison' between their two ships.

The late Captain Steinberg; God rest her soul had smiled at the senior female romulan officer and politely but firmly replied. "Thanks for the offer but no."

Brenia had been sitting beside Trey at that meeting and was the only one who noticed the tight fists he made as he tried to control his anger.

She already knew what had happened earlier when the Tal Shiar had accidentally bumped into Oma; the idiots must have thought the ship was filled with human-hybrids with mutant abilities.

Brenia had been sad to see the young Oma and her mother leave the next day and she had seen how much the separation had cost Trey.

But Oma's safety was paramount.

Brenia had been close friends with Nadia and Trey. She had been named Oma's 'godmother' when she was born, an ancient Earth title which meant guardian.

Fortunately the war had lasted only 2 terrible years; but the butcher's bill had been too high when one included the devastating surprise attack on Earth; the occupation of prominent Federation worlds and the numerous hard fought interstellar battles.

So many lives had been lost including that of Captain Steinberg and her second in command Eran Wrenar as the Federation Alliance Fleet fought for each bloody parsec of space on the path to Cardassia.

Soon after the war ended a badly damaged USS Prometheus was towed back to a Starbase near Earth where it underwent extensive repairs.

At that base Oma and Nadia had been waiting for Trey.

Their reunion had brought tears to Brenia's eyes and she had been so happy to witness at least one happy ending.

Too many crew members never got to see their families.

But now in a time of peace Brenia had to tell Oma's parents that they will never see their only child again.

Captain Brenia E'Kalez thoughts returned to the present as a soft bell sound alerted her that someone was at the door.

"Come in," she ordered in a firm voice as she folded her wings tightly.

The door slid open to reveal Lieutenant Commander Brian Demarce; one of the original crew who had survived the Dominion War.

The officer had light brown hair and piercing green eyes which looked worried when he saw the solemn expression on Brenia's face.

"Captain; is everything alright?"

Brenia answered carefully. "I just got a message for Commander Kadretti and Nadia Kadretti...Oma is missing."

The security officer stared at her in shock. "How...where? She was on a science vessel?!"

A science vessel close to the Romulan Neutral border; just like her father had been when he disappeared decades ago.

This was like an extremely bad joke being played twice thought Brenia.

The captain nodded. "I know. We have to tell Trey and Nadia soon."

Brian replied in a frustrated manner. "They are in the Mhonir regions...once we beam down to the border; it will take at least 6 hours to drive a cart to the Monastery...or at least twice that time to walk to the place that is if we find a guide in time..."

"I have been there before Mr Demarce. I know the way and it will take us at most 3 hours...if you can get me another fast flyer."

Brian's green gaze moved to her tightly folded wings. " I see."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Brenia was tapping her foot impatiently in the transport room when the chief security officer showed up with three other Starfleet officers in yellow and black uniforms.

"Three extra officers as you requested captain."

Brenia took in the three slightly nervous young officers and turned to Brian.

"I asked for only one more officer who had flight capability."

"Two more is a good number captain," said the chief with a blank look on his face.

Brenia decided to keep quiet; they still had a long way to go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Beaming down to the Starfleet regional office in Jalanda City was not a problem; once Brenia took permission from the local authorities, her group of five was beamed to the borders of the Mhonir region.

Once they materialized she turned to the rest of her party.

Brian had picked three Lieutenants; Emelda Ares, Martin Shalador and Frederick Mendez.

Emelda could control air currents; Martin had wings like Brenia except that his had white feathers and Frederick could levitate and fly at high speed.

Brian however could use his flame ability to fly; that had earned him the nickname of one of Earth's old heroes; 'Cannonball'.

Brenia had seen him use it during the Dominion war and he had been very impressive.

"We will be flying to the Naseer Monastery in the northeast section of the Mhonir region. It will take at least 3 hours; can you fly that long?"

The three junior ones looked at each other and answered. "Yes captain."

Brenia looked at Brian.

"A walk in the park captain," said the security officer reassuringly "however may I suggest something?".

The captain tried not to sigh at his confident manner; she wondered if his question had to do with why he had picked two more officers than she had requested.

Brian had better have a good reason why.

"You may," she replied calmly.

"Captain; since we will be flying for 3 hours; I suggest two of the strongest flyers carry a flyer each, so that when we find Commander Kadretti and Dr Kadretti..."

"Those passengers will carry them back; thus saving energy and time," completed Brenia with an approving tone "good idea Mr Demarce."

Her chief smiled at her. "Glad you like it captain."

However Brenia's expression changed to a thoughtful frown. "So who's carrying who?"

Brian actually looked a bit nervous. " I could carry you captain..."his voice trailed off at the glare on his captain's face.

"Oh maybe you could carry me if that's not a problem," the security officer quickly recovered.

Brenia could not help but smile at his fast response. "Exactly."

She turned and asked Emelda if she could carry Frederick; fortunately that did not seem to be a problem.

"Then let's move," said Brenia.

She hesitated for a moment before moving towards Brian.

"Mr Demarce, if I may..."

"Of course captain," said the security officer calmly.

Brenia bent and put her left forearm behind his knees and used her right forearm to support his back as she lifted him.

He was not heavy; she had lifted much heavier but for some reason she felt a bit uncomfortable at such close contact.

As for Brian he held on to her loosely and seemed very relaxed.

Brenia concentrated for a short while then teleported the both of them into the air several feet above the ground, she beat her powerful wide-spanned wings several times to maintain her position, then she looked down.

Emelda had used her air currents to fling Martin into the air where he beat his wings to maintain his position; then the female lieutenant joined them; with her right hand holding Frederick's left hand.

The two officers looked to be standing on air.

Brenia nodded at the three junior officers ; then with one powerful flap of her wings she flew forwards.

A quick look behind after a few seconds showed that the three Starfleet officers were keeping up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**Naseer Monastery...**_

The young female bajoran student monk had the shock of her life when she looked up and saw 4 winged figures diving towards the entrance to the monastery.

For one second she almost cried out in alarm; but her voice froze in her throat when she recognized the uniforms they were wearing.

Starfleet uniforms.

Two years after the Dominion War ended; Bajor had completed its application to join the Federation and now many Bajorans applied for the Starfleet Academy Entrance Exams.

The young student knew all about them because she had been thinking of applying for the same exams for the past 6 months.

Her fear turned to awe as the small group landed gracefully; they each looked powerful but not arrogant. At first she thought the carried ones were hurt ; so she moved forward to render assistance.

Then the two carried males were set lightly on their feet.

Nela Vonne walked towards the red skinned woman in a red and black Starfleet uniform; for some reason she felt she had to be the leader.

"C...can I help you?"

The winged Starfleet officer smiled at her. "Yes; if you please. I'm Captain E'Kalez of the USS Prometheus. We're here to pick up two crew members, Commander Kadretti and Dr Kadretti."

The bajoran tried to speak calmly. "Em...they are still out with the others ," she watched their faces fall "but they should be back in about half a hour," she said quickly.

The captain shared a look with the solemn looking brown-haired human man beside her.

"Thank you; we will wait for them."

Nela nodded nervously; then swallowed.

The red skinned female Starfleet officer before her gave her a look of concern. "Is everything alright?"

Nela nodded quickly. "I...I just wanted to ask...what's it like...attending the Starfleet Academy...that is if you have time to please tell me."

Captain E'Kalez's smile was a bit sad. "Yes; I can talk to you a bit about the Academy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first inkling that Brenia had that the Kadretti's had arrived was when she heard a familiar greeting in klingon.

She excused herself from the slightly emboldened Nela.

"Nadia; Trey, good to see you both."

The two had just come in with a small group of hikers. The Kadrettis had opted for the wilderness get-away; which included mountainous hikes and camping in pristine untouched habitats.

It was both dangerous and invigorating; Brenia had thought about it herself but that was going to be put on hold indefinitely.

"It's good to see you too Captain," replied Nadia ; her black hair was in a long thick braid at the back of her head; she looked tired but happy at the same time.

Meanwhile; her husband's short snow white hair was covered with dust and his hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. The dust was also on his clothes.

"Why captain; have you come to join in the fun?" His smile slowly disappeared when he noticed the solemn looks on their faces.

"What's wrong? Are we being recalled?"

Nadia groaned. "Not now! We just started this holiday?"

Brenia answered carefully. "We need to discuss this elsewhere."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

A few minutes later, Brenia and Brian were with the Kadrettis in a nearby room. They had left the lieutenants with Nela in the courtyard.

"Captain, now I'm concerned. What is wrong?" asked the second in command of the USS Prometheus, Trey Kadretti.

Brenia took a deep breath. " I received a message from Captain Singh of the USS Dunkirk."

There was dead silence.

"No, no..." began Nadia with a look of horror on her face; Trey was speechless.

Brenia forced herself to continue. "Oma is missing."

"No!" screamed Nadia while Trey looked as if he had just seen his worst nightmare. Brenia felt her heart break as she told them the rest.

"It happened close to the Romulan Neutral Border."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Brenia had to watch as Trey tried to comfort his distraught wife. She was certain that half the compound must have heard Nadia's scream of anguish.

She felt like screaming herself; when Nela had asked her about joining Starfleet Academy, it had brought back some bitter-sweet memories.

Soon after the Dominion War; Oma and her mum had returned to a refitted Prometheus. The 13 year old had approached Brenia and asked about the Academy; then Oma had asked her if she could use her as a reference.

Trey could not be a referee because he was her father, the fact that the family trusted Brenia that much had been a precious gift.

Brenia had been honoured to be a referee and she had helped her prepare for the exams and interviews. She had been so proud when Oma became a cadet and she had been kept appraised of her progress.

It was like bringing up her own child; which she was yet to have.

But if what she saw before her was the price one paid when a child died; then maybe she should consider never having children.

Brenia suddenly felt someone was looking at her and she lifted her head just in time to catch an odd look from Brian.

What was he thinking?

"Captain" she turned at the raw voice of her second in command; he looked like he had aged 20 years in a minute.

"Do you know why she was close to the Neutral Zone ?"

Brenia sighed. "Captain Singh could not tell me everything...but the most I could get was that the USS Dunkirk was assigned to a joint Romulan-Starfleet task force that was investigating an anomaly.

He would not go into details of what the anomaly was but something went wrong...Oma was the only fatality."

"They think she's dead," said Nadia in a broken voice.

"Nadia, I'm not sure..." started Brenia.

"Yes!" shouted Nadia "they think she's dead! I don't believe it! The romulans have her! I know it!"

Brenia noticed her security chief's look of confusion. "We don't know that Nadia."

"But it's way too much of a coincidence isn't it captain," said Trey his hazel eyes hard, cold and filled with grief at the same time " twice a science vessel disappears close to the Neutral Zone...we know this is not the first time."

He straightened up. "Captain; I will be tendering my resignation."

Brenia and Brian stared at him in shock.

"What...?" began the captain.

"My actions..."started Trey.

"You're not leaving me behind!" stated Nadia vehemently.

"Our actions in the coming days may compromise the USS Prometheus," continued Trey without missing a beat " so we wish to pursue this matter on our own..."

"Pardon me for saying so sir, but like Hell you will," said Brian forcefully; his words surprised Brenia and Nadia but Trey glared at him.

"You will not stop me from leaving Starfleet to find my daughter!" said Trey through clenched teeth.

"Brian's right; you're not leaving Starfleet," cut in Brenia. The commander turned to her with an icy look on his face.

"And that is because we are all coming with you."

"What?" whispered a shocked Nadia; Trey just stared at the captain.

"I cancelled shore leave for everyone and called in a few favours from some friends of mine in Starfleet...don't ask me who.

They kindly replied before we beamed down to Bajor.

As of now; we have been assigned to USS Dunkirk to investigate the anomaly at the Neutral Border."

"You would do this...for us?" asked Trey with a stunned look on his face.

Brenia gave him a mock glare. "Trey; she's my _god-daughter_...as far as I am concerned that means family. No one ,especially family gets left behind."

Trey and Nadia looked at Brian who was nodding his head in approval.

Nadia walked up to Brenia and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," she had tears in her eyes.

"Save that for when we find her," said the captain of the USS Prometheus gently. She looked at the people in the room.

"The fastest way to leave is by flying out of here...hope you don't get air-sick."

Trey and his wife managed a weak smile when they looked at each other.

"We're ready to go now captain."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**The Xavier, the bridge...**_

Logan watched as Q Junior showed Oma the communication centre.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He turned to find Jean by his side.

"Hi...you okay?" he asked as he turned back to watching the two ensigns in identical uniforms.

"Yes; what about you?" asked Jean.

"Okay; I guess," said Logan in a mutter.

She sighed and leaned closer to whisper back. "Liar."

Logan found the combination of her soft voice and her scent of lavender and cream to be quite pleasing and forced his thoughts to be completely neutral before Jean blasted him to smithereens.

"You're worried about her being on this ship," said Jean; apparently she did not seem to know what Logan was thinking.

Thank God for that.

"Wouldn't you be? I mean it seems like a heck of a coincidence if you ask me!"

Jean shook her head. "No; it's not...she is what she says she is. You're just grumpy because you're got another student to train."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Train? She's in Starfleet for crying out loud! What can I possibly teach her?"

Jean had an impish light in her eyes. "I'm not talking about that...I'm talking about the kind of training you used to give the students at Professor Xavier's school."

Logan stared at her. "Excuse me...I thought they had schools for that now."

The doctor beside him nodded. "Yes, they do...but for her it's different. You do realize she is a human-klingon hybrid."

The look on the captain's face was wary. "And?"

"And she has an ability; which only presents in less than 0.02% of hybrids?

What you don't know is that she has been hiding it."

Logan's eyes widened. "Why was she hiding it?! I thought mutants were accepted here!"

Jean sighed again "You haven't finished reading all the articles yet, have you? Look, on Earth and its colonies; being mutant is normal but to some alien races; they fear the mutant gene and what it represents...something that they don't understand."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "Now that is assuring."

Jean was shocked. "What?"

He looked at her. "It's good to know that there are always idiots out there who are just as paranoid as the colonials. I can't wait to meet them."

Jean did not have any time to respond to that because Q Junior and Oma approached them with worried looks on their faces.

"Is something wrong?" asked Logan.

Oma and Q Junior shared a concerned look.

"We have tried 4 times to raise the USS Dunkirk; we're not getting through," said the male ensign. Logan looked at Oma who appeared very anxious.

_**She's telling the truth captain**_ mind-spoke Jean.

"Maybe they had problems with the communications array" said Logan to everyone's surprise "however is there any other secure location you can transmit to ?

Oma sighed in despair. "No; I don't have the communications code for the USS Zeus or the Endeavour; I didn't think I would need..."then her voice trailed off as if she was thinking.

"What is it?" asked Logan.

Ensign Kadretti looked at him with faint hope in her eyes.

"I may have an idea," she turned to Q Junior.

"Can we transmit a message to the Bajoran sector from here?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Yeah...it's gonna be a bit patchy but I can clean it up as best as I can...do you have the codes for DS9?"

Oma was already shaking her head in excitement. "No; but I have the communication codes of my parents who are stationed on the USS Prometheus.

Their ship was due for shore leave a few days ago and it's last location was Deep space Nine.

I can get a message to them," then her smile fell "but they will be in the middle of their holiday in the Mhonir region."

"How is that a problem?" asked Logan curiously.

Q Junior looked at him. "The Mhonir region of Bajor is an electronic dead-zone and a communications nightmare. Tourists who wish for a location that is more...natural go there to get away from technology for a short period."

He turned back to Oma.

"It's still a great idea, the message should be in your parents e-box until they connect to it...you do realize Starfleet may have told them already that you're missing or...worse. This will come as a massive shock to them."

Oma swallowed nervously. " I know but I want to...have to do it."

Logan nodded. "Fair enough, so what are we going to tell them?"

Everyone looked at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

_**Ten-forward...**_

Rogers could feel his headache building up.

It had started earlier in the medical bay soon after Ensign Kadretti was beamed to the medical bay.

He didn't know if it had to do with the recent excitement...or with the feelings he was getting from everyone around him.

Starbuck was curious about something...could be the new Starfleet ensign or the Xavier or the worm-hole which destroyed her viper.

Anders seemed curious and a bit worried; the second feeling increased any time he looked at Laura.

Helo was apprehensive and agitated anytime he looked at Rogers.

The ensign ignored his curious glances.

Sharon...now she was a bit harder to read; he could feel impatience and also curiosity even as she patiently described the tactics of cylons to Laura.

As for the captain's daughter; she was watching them with a calm neutral expression but he could sense the curiosity and suspicion in her.

He didn't blame her; he was sure he would feel the same if they swapped places.

Rogers found his mind returning once again to Oma Kadretti; he wondered how she was doing and suddenly he felt his head was a bit clearer and the headache was a lot less.

"Hey man; you okay?" whispered Anders to the ensign without looking at him.

Rogers suppressed a curse as he felt the headache return in a rush as thoughts of Oma left his mind. He tried not to snap at the senior officer.

"Yes, sir. I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

Anders glanced at him very briefly. "You look worse than that pal. Are you sure you had enough to eat?"

Rogers looked down at his plate which still had an honest-to-Gods lettuce and ham sandwich on it; then he looked back at Anders who was staring at the food hungrily.

"Sir; you can have it...I'm really full."

Anders grinned at him. "Thanks pal," he reached for the sandwich without another word.

Rogers found himself smiling a little.

Once Laura gave them the fruits she showed them how to order meals. At first they had been a bit nervous; but once Sharon did it so easily, Starbuck had gently pushed her out of the way to have a go.

Trust the female pilot to see everything as a competition.

Laura had cautioned them on eating small meals since their digestive system may not be used to it.

But one could understand that they had found it hard to heed her advice.

None of them had seen good standard normal food for 2 years; eating algae got so boring very fast.

However, Rogers found it hard to eat beyond the first sandwich and had just sipped his cool glass of water. He had been hoping that it would reduce the pressure in his head.

He heard Laura ask a question and forced himself to return to the discussion at hand.

"Apart from Lieutenant Agathon; have any of you done a recon on a basestar?"

Silence met her words; before Anders answered. "No...it's way too risky."

Laura's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Anders stared at her. "There are several reasons.

First of all the cylons would see us coming from miles away; their sensors are more sensitive and advanced.

Second we do not have the manpower or gear or enough vipers to undertake that sort of mission.

Third; what would we gain by doing it?

We already know they wish to wipe us out, they made that point very clear when they nuked the colonies." Anders paused and tried to calm himself down; he easily became angered when he remembered the death and chaos that he barely escaped from on Caprica.

"How would you feel if they had attacked Earth?"

Laura just kept looking at him with a calm expression. "I don't know. I definitely cannot empathize with you."

Three of the colonials stared at her in shock; while Rogers looked a bit puzzled.

"Don't you care about your home world?" asked Sharon in horror.

Laura opened her mouth to reply but another person spoke first.

"You do care," they all turned to stare at Rogers who was looking at Laura steadily " you just want to pretend that you don't." His voice sounded distracted.

The female teenager stared at him. "Jean was right...you're an empath alright."

"Okay, will someone please tell me what an empath is ?" asked a worried looking Helo.

Laura kept her eyes on Rogers as she answered Helo's question.

"Ensign Rogers is a mutant ; his ability is sensing other people's feelings and also predicting possibilities."

Helo's jaw dropped as he turned to Rogers. "You're an oracle?!"

The ensign turned to him. "Yes sir; but so is Dr Grey."

Sharon blinked. "What?"

Laura frowned. " Come again?"

Roger's answered. "An oracle sees the future...that must be why Dr Grey knew what we were about to do something before we finished thinking it..."

His voice trailed off when Laura started laughing.

"I really hate to correct you on that," she said with a grin " but Dr Grey is a telepath who can also move things with her mind.

I doubt your oracles did that."

"What if she's a different type of oracle ? I know what she is," countered Rogers.

"Hold up," said Starbuck a bit nervously " Laura, among our people, oracles are scarce and greatly treasured. Dr Grey would be respected greatly among us."

Laura folded her arms; a wry look on her face. "Oh really? It won't be airlock first then apologize later?"

Everyone looked embarrassed at her words.

The girl looked at them for a while; then sighed.

"Look, we accepted your apology , if not we wouldn't be having this conversation. However, we _don't _forget."

Starbuck had no trouble interpreting the hard light in the girl's eyes.

The crew of the Xavier did not trust them; and it was going to be hard to earn that trust.

The pilot suddenly wished she could beat the crap out of Saul Tigh.

"We understand."

Laura nodded as the doors opened behind her to reveal Captain Logan, Dr Grey and Ensign Kadretti.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**The bridge...**_

Oma watched as Q Junior terminated the transmission. As she had suspected her parents had not been in so it had been sent to the e-message and marked urgent.

She just prayed her parents saw it before they heard the news of her 'apparent' demise.

The message had been hard to create; everyone had turned to Captain Logan who had also been a bit unsure of what to report to Starfleet.

Somehow that made her a bit reassured; because for some inexplicable reason that behaviour confirmed that the man before her was really 'Wolverine' of the X-men.

She had thought of a clone or imposter; after all this would not be the first time that such had happened.

But the adamantium bound to his bones was the real deal.

Since her ability was triggered as a child; Oma could sense metals and as she got older she could tell what most of them were from a distance.

Oma had seen and 'felt' adamantium before ; but only small amounts of it and it had a distinct feel. She had never felt the amount of ore that was bound to Logan's skeletal frame.

It must have been an extremely painful procedure; because adamantium could only be shaped or molded when boiling hot and once hardened it was nigh indestructible.

And to think that the same procedure had been done to his daughter.

Oma knew this because she had 'felt' the same type of metal when Laura had entered the room.

"Well; that's done now," said Q Junior interrupting her thoughts.

"I don't think it would be wise to communicate anymore until this recon mission is done."

Logan nodded. " Agreed," he looked at Oma " I bet you're hungry. We'll be going to Ten-forward in a moment to meet up with the others."

"I need to get back to the medical bay," said Jean " I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Jean I would really appreciate it if you attended the meeting we're about to have."

The doctor gave him a puzzled look which cleared for a few moments.

"Okay; but I really need to tidy up the medical bay."

Logan nodded. "I understand but I really need you to be part of the first round of meetings. We don't have much time."

Jean was silent for a while before replying. "Fine."

Logan looked at the two junior Starfleet officers. "Ensigns; let's go." He headed for the turbo-lift with the three not far behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oma had lots of questions but she felt asking them in the turbo-lift would not be appropriate; she waited until they were out on the corridor then she grabbed Q Junior's arm and pulled him back a little.

"Hey, what is it?" asked the male ensign with a puzzled look on his face.

Logan glanced back at them briefly before he started talking to the doctor beside him.

"I just need to know a few things first; how and why did the colonials try to kill you and Laura?"

Q Junior started frowning. "Well; I guess it's best to get that tale out of the way.

To cut a long story short; we picked up a beacon on a planet ; however the cylons and colonials arrived there shortly after the captain and the doctor went planet-side to see what the signal was about.

The two groups were after something on the planet; the cylons came after the Xavier and demanded to board her; but we could not beam up the captain and Dr Grey due to the strong EMG interference from the sun.

So Laura and I took a shuttle to get to them but we ran into cylons and also rescued a couple of colonials.

However the cylons began to nuke the planet so Laura and I dived into the first transport we could find," he paused.

"This happened to be a colonial transport; also we thought the captain and the doctor were with them; so we escaped from the planet and the colonials took us to their fleet..."

"You call this a short story?!" interrupted an impatient Oma.

"Let me get to it sister," said Q Junior acidly "anyway Laura and I got onto their flag-ship the Galactica where we were immediately accused of being cylons and tossed into an airlock."

Oma stared at him in shock. "They...they didn't space you...it was just a threat; was it?"

The grim look on Q Junior's face made her realize that something bad had occurred.

"Their XO, Colonel Saul Tigh blew the airlock; Laura stuck her claws into the metal floor to prevent her from being sucked out and I was able to phase through and 'convince' them to open the airlock so that Laura could be retrieved."

"How did you convince them?" asked Oma while dreading the answer.

"I put a gun to the XO's head," said Q Junior is a cold tone.

"Did you...did..?" she couldn't say it.

"He didn't get hurt; but Laura had de-compression injuries," his voice had a hard edge "fortunately she recovered quickly."

Oma felt dizzy with relief. "And you're still helping the colonials ?"  
Q Junior sighed. "I did tell you that this was not going to be easy; didn't I?"

The two walked in silence for a while.

"There's more you haven't told me is there?" it was not exactly a question.

Q Junior nodded. "Yes; but as you can see we don't have time for a comprehensive show and tell. You will be told when the time comes."

Oma bit her lower lip in annoyance but realized she had to accept that. "I know this recon is important but why pick this particular bunch of colonials ?

How sure are you that they can be trusted to not try and take over this ship?"

Q Junior smiled with approval. "Good questions. Here are the answers.

Junior Lieutenant Anders and Ensign Rogers got their a...em behinds kicked when they tried to save Laura and I. Rogers actually got his left forearm broken.

Also Rogers may have just realized he's a mutant with precognitive and empathy abilities; it's thanks to him that we were able to pick you up. So you own him one." Oma was a bit shocked and uncomfortable at that revelation.

Q Junior was not done.

"Lieutenant Sharon Agathon is a cylon." Oma gasped at that bit of news.

"... who has sided with the colonials and as far as I'm concerned I trust her more than the others. Helo is a her husband; he prevented a certain colonial officer from attempting to nuke the Xavier.

And Starbuck is...trouble; but she seems to be tight with the Agathons and is married to Anders so it might be best if we have her in our corner."

Q Junior looked at her as they walked. "By the by; just a quick word of advice, the colonials think the captain, Dr Grey and Laura were put in stasis for the past 376 years and that I was sent to a secret military base by Starfleet to retrieve them.

I _so_ did not put that idea in their heads but if they ask you about it; just say you don't know...or it's classified."

Oma looked shell-shocked for a long moment. "You're right...this is not going to be easy."

There was a dry chuckle from the front ; Logan turned back to look at the two ensigns with a wry grin on his face.

"Trust me; it never is."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**Ten-forward...**_

Oma walked in with the others and was immediately aware of the change in the atmosphere.

Everyone turned to look at them and most of them stared at her.

The new addition to the team.

Oma found herself remembering her father's advice. "Spine straight; shoulders back and a calm expression on your face. Works almost every time."

She was also grateful for the new uniform Dr Grey replicated for her before they left the medical bay; but she still felt self –conscious as the colonials and the captain's daughter stared at her.

Oma forced herself to glance at them and she noticed the blond male ensign was openly looking at her. However when she looked at him directly he turned away quickly; his cheeks seemed a bit red.

"Alright; I'm sure everyone has questions," started Logan "so I'll make this brief and easy.

Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti is a crew member of the USS Dunkirk, she cannot return to her ship so she'll be staying with us."

Logan paused seeing the puzzled looks on their faces.

"How exactly did she get here ? And what was that thing that destroyed my viper?!" demanded a female blonde in slightly threadbare colonial garb.

Logan glanced at a silent Oma before turning back to the standing female colonial officer.

"Ensign Kadretti meet Lieutenant Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace of the 12 colonies of Kobol."

Oma stepped forward aware of all the eyes on her. "Hello," she managed to say calmly.

Kara narrowed her eyes and stepped closer. "Is it possible for you to explain to us what happened an hour ago?"

Oma tried not to retreat from her aggressive tone, she looked at Captain Logan and Dr Grey.

"Just explain what you can Ensign Kadretti," said Dr Grey with an encouraging smile.

_**Keep it simple and remember the Prime Directive.**_

Oma just barely stopped herself from showing her surprise then realized that Q Junior must have tried to bring them up to speed about the Federation and it's laws. She nodded slightly before turning back to an impatient colonial officer.

"I am Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti and I was stationed on the USS Dunkirk, a Starfleet science vessel.

Our ship and a few others were investigating an anomaly at the Romulan-Neutral Border. Our sensors identified it as an evolving worm-hole, this came as a surprise to us because 2 weeks ago that anomaly did not exist in that section of space."

"What is the Romulan-Neutral border?" asked a dark haired man beside an asian looking woman.

"And you are?" she asked politely.

To her surprise, the man actually blushed at her question. "My apologies; I guess introductions are in order. I am Captain Karl 'Helo' Agathon."

He turned to the woman by his side. "My wife, Lieutenant Sharon 'Athena' Agathon."

He pointed at the brown haired man beside Starbuck.

"That's Junior Lieutenant Samuel. and this here ," Helo placed his hand on the shoulder of the last youngest looking colonial "is Ensign Billy Rogers.

We're all members of the Colonial Fleet."

"Fine, fine; now that we all know each other; may we please return to the matter at hand? What the frak is this border we're talking about?" asked Kara.

Oma noticed Laura's eyes narrow as she turned to concentrate on the irritated female pilot.

Oma thought fast as she replied carefully.

"The Romulan Neutral border was created after the end of the Earth-Romulan War in 2160; more than 200 years ago."

Starbuck's face seemed to go still at her words; Oma was not done yet.

"However this anomaly was so large it straddled the border and the Romulans asked for our assistance in investigating it."

"How close was this anomaly to Earth ?" asked Starbuck with a glint in her eyes.

Oma looked at her suspiciously, at maximum warp a Starfleet ship could get to Earth from the Border in 12.6 hours but she was not ready to tell the colonial officer that.

"Why do you ask?"

The blonde smiled knowingly. "It's pretty close isn't it ? What I would like to know is if you can recreate the worm-hole that brought you here."

Oma stared back at the colonial officer. "Even if I could; I wouldn't and the reason is pretty simple.

The Federation and the Romulans had to forge an uneasy alliance to fight the Dominion and their allies.

The War which ended 7 years ago; lasted 2 years and cost the lives of close to 2 billion people.

And would you like to know how the Dominion invaded the Alpha Quadrant?

By coming through a similar sized worm-hole; now you know why it concerned so many people.

Also try to imagine if we could re-create the wormhole and your fleet decided to go through it.

The Romulans would see it as an act of war and they don't ask questions before shooting first."

There was dead silence at her calm words.

There was a dry chuckle from Logan. "Now; that sounds familiar doesn't it?"

"So you have absolutely no idea how the wormhole was created?" said a calm voice.

Everyone's attention was drawn to Rogers who had been silent through this conversation.

Oma looked at him. "No; I don't. If you wish to get to Earth, we'll have to go the long route."

"Which brings us to the next part of this meeting," said Logan smoothly as Kara was about to ask another question.

"People; we are already behind schedule. What we need to do now is to plan how we're going to sneak on board a basestar and get the information we need."

Oma hung back and listened with avid interest.

"Information on their defensive and offensive capabilities and if they have any indication of Earth's location..."

"And our daughter; we get our daughter," cut in Lieutenant Sharon Agathon.

Oma could not hide her surprise at those words, Q Junior had told her the woman was a cylon.

She had a daughter ? How ?

_**The child is a human-cylon hybrid; possibly the first ever born her father is Captain Karl Agathon**_.

Oma did not clamp down on her mental shields; she could tell Dr Grey was only trying to make things clearer for her and she appreciated it a lot.

_**Sharon is convinced they have her; I think there is more here than meets the eye. We haven't really had a chance to find out what is exactly going on.**_

_Is the Captain going to search for the child as well? _Oma thought back to the feminine presence in her head.

_**I don't know**_ mindspoke Jean _**I hope he does.**_

Meanwhile Logan had turned to Sharon.

"You do realize the basestar we might get on board may not have her there; we also have to make sure she's yours."

The female cylon exchanged a worried look with her husband. "I...I know she will be there."

Logan was silent for a long while; then he frowned. "I can't make any promises; we don't exactly know what we're going up against.

We may have to go in fast and it will take a miracle for them not to notice us...we need to prepare ourselves for casualties on both sides."

"So who's going to be on the team?" asked Laura with a blank look on her face.

Logan turned to her. "I'll lead; Q Junior has to come along as he may need to hack into the interface." The hologram nodded.

"Lieutenant Agathon may need to get us in because she looks like one of the cylon models.

Lieutenant Thrace and Junior Lieutenant Anders; any recon experience of any sort?"

The couple nodded. "Yes sir," said Anders " not on a basestar but we know the drill."

Logan nodded then turned to a surprised Oma. "Seeing how you flew that barely functioning shuttle through the anomaly...how good are your piloting skills?"

Oma tried to stand even straighter as she answered with quiet pride. "2nd best in my discipline sir; which was Astro-navigation."

Logan raised an eyebrow. " Good enough," he turned back to the people watching " that will be the team..."

"Hold up what about me ?" interrupted Laura quickly.

"And me as well?" asked Rogers standing up a bit unsteadily.

"I would also like to be along for this sir," asked Helo respectively.

"Ensign Rogers; from the way you just stood and from the mental fatigue you are experiencing you are in no condition to participate in this mission," answered Dr Grey firmly.

"But..." started Roger but his voice trailed off at the stern look on the doctor's face.

"Hello; back to me," said Laura impatiently " pops why can't I join this mission? You need me!"

Logan closed his eyes briefly then turned to Helo. "Wait one moment."

He looked at Laura. "Not now Laura."

"Oh no captain! This is the right time to talk about it," something in her voice had Logan turning back to her. He stared at her eyes so familiar to his for a long time.

"Okay; what is it?"

She shook her head. "This is not the place, Captain may I speak to you outside now?" her voice was barely above a growl.

Logan narrowed his eyes and he glanced at her hands which were hanging loose by her sides.

A similar posture he took just before popping them.

"Fine; let's take this outside." With barely a glance at the stunned people in the room; the two left the mess room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jean watched them go with a worried look in her eyes; for a moment she had been tempted to 'peak' and find out what was going on.

_**Not such a good idea**_. Said the Phoenix.

_Why not ? You know something!_

The Phoenix seemed to sigh._** This was bound to happen ; it's better now than during the recon mission.**_

Now Jean was worried._ What is going on?_

_**Nothing that really concerns you, by the by you need to see to Rogers; the poor lad is about to pass out again.**_

Jean was suddenly aware of the thoughts of distress from the young colonial officer and she approached him quickly to the surprise of his fellow pilots.

The ensign was fortunately sitting down but he looked a bit pale.

"Mr Rogers; you look exhausted," she pulled out a tricorder and started running a scan.

"I'm fine...just tired," muttered the pale looking pilot.

"No you're not; you look like crap pal," said Kara; she looked at Dr Grey.

"What is wrong with him?"

Jean answered without looking at her. "I believe Rogers had been unconsciously shielding his mind before today; but now that he is fully aware of what he can do...the shields have failed.

Thus the emotions of everyone on this ship has worn him out."

"Shielding his mind?" asked Anders dubiously.

"Yeah; try and imagine feeling what everyone around you feels. It can be overwhelming," said Jean in a distracted voice as she completed her scanning.

She then touched Rogers lightly on the right shoulder.

"Ensign; I need you to try and focus, your mind is quite open right now and you are already being overwhelmed by the feelings of the people around you."

"I'm trying...I don't know what to do," said Rogers in a slightly anxious voice

"Should we move away for a bit?" asked a concerned Sharon.

Jean glanced at her. "That may work but not for long," she turned back to Rogers. "I can help you but you need to follow me step by step..."

"Dr Grey," Q Junior's worried voice had her turning to face the anxious looking male teenager.

Something told her that she was not going to like what she heard.

"I just spoke to Xavier...a danger room programme has been initiated in the holodeck. Current occupants the captain and Laura."

Jean felt the blood drain from her face.

_**Do not interfere!**_ Warned the Phoenix.

Jean ruthlessly shut her out and turned to Oma.

"Help Rogers build his shields, Q Junior and I will be in the holodeck," she did not give the female ensign time to answer before she was running from the mess room with the hologram not far behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oma gaped in disbelief as the doctor and Q Junior ran out of the mess hall.

Whatever had the two running had to be serious.

"What's a danger room programme and did I just hear a holodeck?" asked Kara in a suspicious voice.

Danger room programme; where have I heard that before?

Thought Oma; then she realized the 5 colonials were now looking at her for answers.

"I can't talk about that...maybe you can ask the Captain when he gets back...I thought four of you were about to move away so that I could help Ensign Rogers."

Anders shared a look with his wife.

"Fine," he said to Oma's surprise " we'll be at the next table...just watching."

Oma had to smile at the obvious fact that they didn't trust her.

Fair enough; she didn't trust them either.

She turned back to Rogers who was staring at her with his disconcerting blue eyes. Oma felt her face heat up at her scrutiny.

"Hi," she said a bit awkwardly as she sat down opposite him.

The male colonial ensign dropped his gaze and swallowed nervously before answering. "Hi ."

Oma frowned and nodded; at loss for what to say; then looked sideways to see that the four colonials were watching them with what suspiciously looked like disbelief on their faces.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sharon was the first to notice something was off about Rogers; then she realized what it was.

Ever since the Starfleet female ensign had entered the room; the boy had not taken his eyes off the girl. Sharon then noticed Anders and Helo whispering with their heads together and with her enhanced hearing she could tell they had noticed the same thing.

Then when Ensign Kadretti sat across the Rogers; his gaze had been more intense than ever.

"This is frakking unbelievable; it looks like Rogers is in love," said Kara in a stunned whisper to Sharon.

"Maybe he's just curious," whispered the cylon back to her.

Kara snorted. "Yeah right; I sure hope he knows what he may be getting himself involved with. She is not your typical human female."

Sharon stared at her. "Just like me?"

Kara rolled her eyes and hissed. "Geez Athena! I did not mean it that way..."

Sharon raised a hand to calm her down. "I'm sure you didn't...just don't try to mess things up please."

Kara stared at her in disbelief; then gestured towards Rogers. "I'm not the one you should be worried about!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Oma tried not to dwell on what the colonials' expressions meant.

She had bigger problems to deal with.

"Ensign Rogers; I know this is new for you. I need you to focus on something calming."

He closed his eyes briefly then opened them again. "Like what?"

"Try to recall something from your past or your memories that makes you smile; something that holds your centre," Oma was trying hard to recall mental shield teaching 101 that had been taught to her as a child and articles she had read about empaths and telepaths.

The difficulty was that she had only been taught how to shield and protect her mind; but she felt she could adjust her teaching to temporary help Rogers until the good doctor got back.

Rogers blinked several times and closed his eyes' tightly as if he had a migraine.

"It's not working," he sounded like he was panicking and he began to ventilate.

Unthinkingly she reached out and touched his right cheek gently; his breathing slowed down at once.

"There is something right there in your mind which has a calming effect; do you see it?"

Moments passed before he answered.

"Yes...yes I do."

Oma withdrew her hand and was a bit stunned when he seemed to follow it.

"Keep still and calm and do not lose that memory and moment of calmness. It is your anchor and your rock. Surround it with a wall or barrier and hold on to it." She watched him close his eyes and his breathing sounded much easier.

"Now how do you feel Ensign Rogers?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Earlier on as the meeting continued; Rogers had felt his headache growing worse and worse.

The feelings in the room were intense and he felt as if his mind was being battered from all directions.

Then he heard Captain Logan assign people to the recon team and he was shocked that his name had not been called. He stood up to protest and almost fell.

Rogers heard Dr Grey's reason for him not going; all he tried to concentrate on was on not passing out again in-front of everyone.

Especially not in front of Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti.

He had to remember to call her by her full name and rank; he had got too familiar with her name the first time and that had pissed her off alright.

Rogers struggled with his growing headache and missed when Laura confronted her father about not being on the team; he barely registered the two leaving the mess hall.

When Dr Grey came over to help him; he had felt her mind trying to help him but he had a strong feeling that it was going to be someone else entirely who was going to teach him how to protect his mind.

So it had come as no surprise to him when Dr Grey and Q Junior had to run from the mess hall to attend an emergency involving the captain and his daughter.

Except that what they were running to wasn't _exactly_ an emergency; but he was too tired and in too much pain to tell them that in time.

Then Oma sat down across him.

For a long moment all he could do was stare at her.

Her red and black Starfleet uniform was pristine and looked extremely flattering on her slim figure; she must have got a new one in the medical bay.

Suddenly he was conscious of his threadbare less than pristine colonial pilot uniform.

"Hi," she said in dulcet tones.

Rogers swallowed nervously and dropped his gaze briefly before replying.

Ensign Kadretti frowned back at him as if irritated by his inane response; she nodded before glancing at the 4 colonial officers who were watching them closely.

Something in their expressions seemed to make her frown even more.

Rogers found him-self wanting to hear her voice again and almost sighed in relief when she started advising him to search his past for a memory that could calm him down.

He tried but it was hard to pinpoint on a particular thing; maybe it was the exhaustion or the building headache; then he felt a warm firm small hand rest on his cheek for a brief moment and he felt his headache begin to recede at once.

"There is something right there in your mind which has a calming effect; do you see it?" said the female Starfleet officer in a soft voice.

Rogers concentrated on the face of Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti and her voice; moments passed before he answered.

"Yes...yes I do."

When she tried to take her hand away he tried to follow it but she retrieved it quickly and the worried look in her face had him sitting back in his chair.

"Keep still and calm and do not lose that memory and moment of calmness. It is your anchor and your rock. Surround it with a wall or barrier; hold on to it." She watched him close his eyes and his breathing sounded much easier as he held on to the image of the pretty female officer before him.

"Now how do you feel Ensign Rogers?"

Rogers felt as if he had just put 'layers' around his mind and the noise or interference was now much reduced. His head felt a lot lighter.

"I feel better...much better."

She gave wary look. "You sure about that?"

He nodded and prayed she did not ask him what thought he had used to calm his mind.

"Yes, I am certain. Thank you for your help."

Ensign Kadretti nodded slowly. "Fine," she looked a bit uncomfortable as she continued speaking "I guess I should thank you as well for saving me. You prevented the Xavier from leaving before I came through the worm-hole. Thanks again."

Roger was a bit stunned; he had actually forgotten his part in that. "Eh...you're welcome."

"Hey Rogers; you alright?" asked Kara loudly as she and the other colonials approached the two ensigns.

The colonial ensign nodded. "I feel a lot better," he looked at the Starfleet officer sitting across him " she helped me a lot."

"Huh," said Kara as she turned to regard the silent Starfleet officer with a curious look in her eyes. Kara's gaze moved to the ridges on the girl's forehead.

Ensign Kadretti stared back at her calmly.

"Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Oma sighed inwardly at the female colonial officer's words.

This was to be expected; they probably thought that now they had her alone that she was going to give them information like Earth's co-ordinates.

Not on her watch.

"In the medical bay; you mentioned a ship called the USS Zeus. Do you realize what that name means?"

Oma was surprised at her question and the odd look in Kara's face warned her to answer it with care.

"The USS Zeus was named after the Greek father of the Gods. Is that significant to you?"

Kara exchanged a long look with her husband but did not answer.

"I have also noticed that Lieutenant Agathon's middle name is Athena...she was considered the warrior goddess," continued Oma "so please tell me what is the significance of these names to you."

Kara looked at her for a long time.

"Fine; I'm going to tell you about the Kobol, its' 12 Colonies and how everything was destroyed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Jean and Q Junior ran down the corridor to the turbo-lift.

"How long have they been in there?" asked a worried Jean.

"Exactly 5 minutes," said Q Junior. He was stunned to hear the doctor swear.

Dammit! What the hell were they thinking?!" she turned to Q Junior " can we turn off the programme from here?"

The male ensign shook his head. "No can do; we have to enter the holodeck to attempt that."

Jean hissed in frustration.

_Phoenix! Help me out here!_

There was silence in her mind for a while.

_PHOENIX!_

Mentally screamed Jean.

_**Oh geez! Now you need my help?! Will you calm down before you undo the delicate work that Oma who is not an empath by the way was able to do on Rogers!?**_

That eroded Jean's rage.

_You mean she was able to help him?_

_**Yeah; looks like he's quite taken with her**_ mind-spoke the entity in Jean's mind. The Phoenix actually sounded a bit amused.

_That is not the most important thing right now! Why didn't you tell me what Logan had planned?_

There was an un-lady like snort in her mind. _**Now what makes you think that whatever you 'think' is happening on the holodeck was his idea ?**_

_**Do me a favour; go there, have a look then come back to me with an apology!**_

Jean had the feeling of a mental door being slammed in her face.

"Dr Grey" she turned to an anxious looking Q Junior who was standing outside the turbo lift; they had reached their destination.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes...just worried about Logan and Laura."

The male teenager looked a bit relieved at that explanation.

"I have tried to check on what is going on in the holodeck; but the program belongs to Laura...I don't think hacking it will be wise."

Jean glared at him and he flinched but kept eye contact.

"Dr Grey...we may be jumping to conclusions but..."

"Just get me inside," snapped Jean as they both approached the holodeck.

Q Junior bit his lower lip and kept quiet.

He punched in a code but the doors refused to slide apart.

Q Junior frowned . " Xavier; voice over-ride if you please."

"_Unable to comply; captain's orders were that they were not to be disturbed."_

Jean resisted the strong urge to swear. "Xavier; this is Dr Grey; open this door now or so help me God...," she stopped as her inner voice warned her that this situation was not the AI's fault.

She closed her eyes and counted to ten.

"Xavier; I'm really sorry that you're in the middle of this...situation; but we really need to get in there. Please let us in."

There was silence for several moments; then the holodeck doors slid open to Jean and Q Junior's surprise.

The two looked at each other for a brief second and ran into the deck.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Q Junior had not expected the ship's AI to comply; after-all the captain had given directives on not letting anyone into the holodeck.

To be honest; Q Junior was very worried about what was going on in the holodeck; he couldn't even begin to imagine what it could be.

At first he had been tempted to hack into Laura's files.

Over the last 4 weeks before they met the colonials and cylons; she had spent a lot of time in the holodeck.

Q Junior had been smart enough to know that whatever programme she had created was to be considered private and thus none of his business.

He just hoped no one was getting hurt in there or he would never forgive himself.

The door to the holodeck had barely slid aside before he and the doctor ran inside; he was not prepared for what was behind the door.

To put it simply it was a war-zone.

And Logan and Laura were in the middle of it.

The setting was late evening; in the midst of a burnt out smoking sub-urban area which if repaired could be identical to the sub-urban areas in any part of the former United States of America.

Q Junior and the doctor found themselves at the top of a hill; both of them could see Logan and Laura were in the middle of the devastated area fighting.

But not each other; they were battling against what looked suspiciously like 9-feet tall centurions armed with guns and swords.

Jean tried to move forward only to get stopped by a force-field.

"Xavier; what's going on? Why the forcefield?"

"_I'm afraid I cannot let you go further Dr Grey. This programme is called 'Project C' by Laura, the safety protocols have been disabled. This is currently Level 2 at moderate difficulty."_

Q Junior stared at the ceiling in shock. "Moderate difficulty?! They are fighting close to 34 centurions at the moment and you call this moderate! With no safety protocols!?"

Jean looked at the boy beside her; he was almost yelling at the last part.

"_Affirmative,"_ replied Xavier calmly_ "however approaching them during battle will increase the risk of bodily harm as you will distract them."_

Jean suddenly felt a bit ashamed; she had been so intent on getting here that she had not considered the potential danger she and Q may put Logan and Laura in.

Then she felt annoyed as she wondered why they had not told her what they were about to do!

"Xavier is right," said Jean to Q Junior's surprise "we need to wait this out. However get more dermal replicators and or analgesia in case we do need them."

Q Junior nodded. "There're always med-kits in the holodeck, just in case someone does something stupid." He still sounded angry as he ran to get the nearest kit which was near the entrance into the deck.

Jean turned back to watch the battle going on in the middle of the small town.

She was in time to see a centurion turn to aim it's modified hand-gun at Laura's chest; but Logan intercepted himself and received the barrage point blank.

Jean felt her chest constrict painfully as she saw him stagger but he roared and used his adamantium claws to rip the centurion to pieces.

Meanwhile, Laura rolled into a group of approaching centurions. Before they could shoot she used her claws to cut their legs out from under them; then as they went down on shattered knees she decapitated them in mere seconds.

Later when Jean thought about it; Laura had seemed fluid, fast and silent, almost akin to a ballet dancer armed with hand and foot claws.

Very unlike her father who was more of a battering ram with indestructible adamantium claws.

All too soon; the approaching centurions were in pieces at the feet of both fighters.

"_Level 2 of Project C completed, programme ended,"_announced Xavier before the scene reverted back to that of the holo-deck.

"That was quick," said Q Junior who had returned to Jean's side. He was now clutching a med-kit in his right hand.

Jean reached out once more and realized the protective force-field was down.

Without another word; she and the male ensign approached the two mutants in the middle of the holo-deck.

Laura and Logan were both breathing a bit faster and watching each other as Dr Grey and Q Junior approached.

"Xavier; what's the score?" asked Logan without indicating that he was aware of the two people getting closer to him.

"_Captain Logan 14 kills; Laura 20 kills."_

"Whoopee," celebrated Laura dryly " I told you I would beat you old man. So what's it going to be? I'm in or out ?"

Jean exchanged a stunned look with Q Junior.

This had been a competition ?

Logan stared at Laura for a long time.

"You're in."

Jean and Q Junior gaped at him while Laura gave one of her rare smiles.

"You...you mean it?"

"On one condition that you follow my orders..."

"Yeah I get it," interrupted Laura "I know how to do my job, pops."

"Logan." The captain and Laura turned to Jean; she did not look pleased.

"A word now please."

"Em...I 'll just get changed," said Laura hurryingly when she saw the look on the doctor's face. Q Junior went after her with a set look on his face.

Before the two were out of earshot, Jean and Logan could hear them arguing.

"No safety protocols?! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Q, I know how to take care of myself; this is not my first rodeo..."

"That is so not the point!..."

The voices of the two teens died away before Jean decided to speak.

"Would you care to explain yourself Captain Logan?"

Logan winced; the ice in her voice could have frozen the Atlantic in seconds.

"Laura wants to be part of the recon mission, I know if I say no...she's going to try and come anyway.

Look how well that turned out the last time."

Jean knew he was talking of the airlock incident with the colonials.

"You have to reason with her not to do this..."

"I tried Jean," cut in Logan " I tried but she's not ready to listen."

"A recon mission on board a cylon basestar is not the place for a child!" hissed Jean.

Logan stared at her "You think I don't know that?! There is nothing short of locking her up in the brig that would stop her from coming along and something tells me that is certainly not an option."

Jean bit her lower lip. "Then I'm coming with you."

Logan shook his head. "You can't, someone has to watch over the Xavier; you come and we leave two colonials in charge of this ship who clearly know nothing about it.

Besides you are our plan B and C in case you need to pull us out of a fire-fight."

Jean could see the reason in his decision but it was so hard for her to accept it.

Logan walked up to her. "Jean, please I need your help and support on this one...I see myself in that kid; if I lock her up she will get free and come after us.

That could jeopardise the whole mission."

Jean was silent for a long moment then sighed loudly; signalling defeat.

"We need to cover every angle and get you all proper uniforms," she touched his bullet holed shirt "I don't like this at all Logan."

He touched her right shoulder gently. "I don't really have a choice."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**In orbit around Deep Space Nine, USS Prometheus...**_

Nadia felt numb and tired as she and her husband entered their living quarters.

The flight back to Jalanda from the Mhonir region had been longer than they expected because of a storm which they had to wait out.

Though exhausted; she was eager for the ship to leave for the Romulan Neutral Border at once.

She looked at her husband; he had already changed back into his red and black uniform with the commander rank.

"We need to tell my parents; they can get someone to start from their end."

Trey's hands stilled as he adjusted his uniform.

"Maybe we should wait until we get the full facts..."

"Wait?!" cut in Nadia with a hiss "the Romulans took her hours ago, waiting is not an option! We need to act now."

"Nadia, the captain has already cancelled everyone's shore leave and is going to use this ship to help us look for our daughter.

I will not rest until I find her, but getting your parents involved this early in the situation may cause more harm than good."

Nadia raised her hands in frustration. "Like what?!"

"Like starting a war," he walked over to her and took her hands in his gently "we don't even know what her ship had been called to investigate.

Until we have more facts, we trust Captain E'Kalez...she has never let us down before and she knows what is at risk."

Nadia looked at her husband's clear hazel eyes for a long time; then sighed.

"Alright, alright, we'll do it your way but we will have to tell my family soon what has happened."

Trey kissed her hands. "I promise, we will."

At that point his com-badge bleeped.

"_Commander Kadretti and Dr Kadretti to the captain's ready room please, we're about to start the meeting."_ It was Demarce's voice.

Husband and wife looked at each other.

"We'll be there soon," replied Trey.

"Let me change first; then we can go," said Nadia as she moved off towards the wardrobe.

Trey nodded and watched her go; he knew how she felt.

He wanted Oma found as soon as possible and realized each moment that passed was too long.

Trey's began to pace as his wife changed quickly and his eyes were caught by the red light on the vid-com device on the table.

He looked at the significant number of messages and sighed; he reached towards it to quickly browse who had tried to reach them in their absence.

"I'm ready." Nadia now stood before him in a new set of clothes.

Trey pulled his hand back from the vid-com; the messages could wait.

The search for his daughter could not.

As the two left the living quarters, the red light on the vid-com continued to flash.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

**Hi everyone; hope you all like this one; please read and enjoy and thanks so much to everyone for their reviews.**

**Have a great week people.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of the Phoenix and the Wolverine.

_**In the space between dimensions...**_

It had been several Q minutes since the wormhole incident.

And the three Q were still no clearer on what had actually happened.

First they retraced General Q's cosmic steps as he searched for Lady Q and Q; then they realized that it was only pure luck which had caused him to stumble unto the couple's last location.

One thing was clear however.

Someone or _something powerful _had distracted General Q and prevented him from closing the anomaly in it's infantile stage. That _presence _had then sent him on a wild goose chase

That same presence had been 'dulling' General Q's senses.

"Whoever did this deserves a medal," said Q in reluctant admiration. Then he looked up to see his wife and General Q giving him cold looks.

"You gotta admit; he or she has got some style," he said with a wide grin.

"That still doesn't tell us who it was," said Lady Q through gritted teeth, she sighed loudly and pushed her hair back with both hands.

"We're missing something here people."

"Like what?" asked the Q dressed in the butternut Confederates uniform with the rank of a three star General. He also looked quite irritated.

Lady Q sighed loudly. "I don't know...just something does not feel right."

Her husband snorted. "The whole thing does not feel right."

Lady Q was silent for moments. "We need to take a step back and rest our minds for a bit...I think I will just check on Junior to see how he's..."

"No," said the two male Qs at once.

Lady Q blinked in amazement and stared at them.

"Okayyyy...I was just going to have a look; not speak to him."

"No is no Lady Q, you don't have to check on him," said General Q.

"Yeah, listen to him dear," said her husband in an absent minded tone.

Lady Q had a puzzled frown on her face. "Hang on; did you two just agree with each other...?" her voice trailed off as the puzzled look was now replaced by one of suspicion.

"You were saying..."started her husband only to be hushed by his wife's upheld hand as she started looking around the void-bubble they floated in.

Q and General Q gave each other puzzled looks as she began to move around the void seemingly ignoring them.

"Lady Q are you alright...?" started the General only to be shocked when she suddenly released a blast of energy towards him.

General Q barely heard a shout of 'get down!' as Q quickly dragged him out of the way.

Both male Q readied mental and physical defences as they began to suspect Lady Q of losing her mind until she shouted.

"Look!"

Both men turned to stare at the area she hit and for one brief moment a large humanoid shape was outlined by the cosmic net that Lady Q had flung.

However before the three Q could comprehend what they were staring at; the shape broke the 'web' and disappeared with a roar of anger.

All three Q sank to the cosmic floor as they covered their ears.

Mere Q seconds passed before the Qs realized they were suddenly alone.

"What in the name of all the Universe was that?" asked General Q in a slightly nervous tone. The other male Q also looked a bit rattled.

Lady Q stood up a bit unsteadily; the look on her face was that of extreme rage.

"That gentlemen was the cause of wormhole; the presence that dulled your senses General and that thing also had the guts to interfere with me checking up on my son!"

Both male Q shared a worried look; never get between mama bear and her cub was one of Earth's wiser sayings.

"I apologize for the shot; but it was aimed at a point over your shoulder. You were never in any danger," Lady Q's anger had abated just a tiny bit and both male Q were well aware of that.

That cosmic shot had been fuelled by anger and fear; both males were_ never _ going to mention that while she was still in the mood to fire more.

General Q swallowed nervously before nodding. "No need to apologize; I'm just concerned that I could not sense that it was here in the void with us."

"Maybe we need to get the other Q involved," said the other male Q.

He was surprised to see his wife shake her head. "I don't think that will be wise. It fooled us almost perfectly the first time; this second time we caught on to it quicker.

I think we might be becoming immune to it's attempts at subterfuge but if we get the other Q involved, then it could get _really _creative...I know this sounds odd; but getting more Q involved now feels like a very bad idea."

General Q frowned at her. "You're sure it's not making you think that now."

Lady Q was already shaking her head. "Oh no, It's not here now."

"I think Lady Q has a point," said her husband with a thoughtful look on his face "think about it; we, the Qs are masters of interference and mischief..."

"Speak for yourself, I do not indulge in mischief," said General Q stiffly.

"Keep telling yourself that," said Q airily as he continued " however, my point is this, like it or not...this entity beat us at our own game. Imagine the kind of chaos that would ensure if we recruited more Q into this investigation."

Several moments passed; then General Q nodded reluctantly.

"I see the reasoning behind your advice...however maybe it's high time we found out what Q Junior has been up to since this entity was trying to prevent us from just doing that," he saw the worried looks on their faces.

"And don't worry; I definitely do not think this was his fault."

The parents of Q Junior looked relieved at that statement.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

It did not take long for them to find the Xavier and soon enough they spotted the colonials and a certain female Starfleet officer.

"Apparently we have _missed_ a lot," said General Q after they watched Kara Thrace question Ensign Kadretti about the wormhole incident.

"We need to see what led up to this," said Lady Q in a grave tone.

The General complied and he began to turn back time to reveal what had gone before.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**The Xavier, Ten Forward...**_

To say Oma was shocked was the understatement of the year.

She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

20 billion humans dead and at the hand of their own creation.

All that remained of the colonies was less than 41,000 souls and they had the cylons chasing them on their way to Earth.

This was beyond bad; even if the cylons and the colonials were centuries behind in technology.

That lower level of technology did not reduce the risk the colonials and the cylons could bring to the Alpha Quadrant especially if the enemy was ready to die for their cause.

Starfleet military history had shown that having more advanced technology did not always guarantee winning a war.

As was seen during the Dominion War and past encounters with the Borg.

Both enemies had been far advanced in technology and had vast numbers and the Federation had been obviously behind in manpower and weapons.

However what the Federation Alliance lacked in technology they had more than made up for it with the determination and a significant sacrifice of its military and non-military citizens.

The Dominion War had taken the combined forces of the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire and the Federation before they could be stopped and that had only been achieved by a controversial peace treaty with the Dominion.

As for the Borg, analysts had been heard to say the past encounters may have been scouting parties so only God knew when the Borg would decide to invade the Alpha Quadrant.

And Oma was afraid that if it should happen soon; _no one_ would be ready for it.

Oma shook her head and tried to focus on the current situation.

"What you just told me...is terrible. I can't even begin to understand the loss you must have experienced."

Kara waved her words away impatiently " fine, fine...what I am curious about is if you know where Earth is exactly."

The look of concern on Oma's face changed to surprise than anger.

"Lieutenant Thrace, I can see your people have suffered a great deal, but bear in mind that Earth is my homeworld as well and you have your enemy tracking your fleet.

I am certainly not going to give you Earth's co-ordinates!"

To her surprise Thrace shrugged. "Well I had to try; guess you are a smart cookie to have graduated from Earth Academy so young."

"It's Starfleet Academy," said Oma a bit frostily.

Kara raised her eyebrows. By the Gods this one had a backbone alright; if this was the kind of cadets Earth was producing than maybe it might be worth a visit.

Kara had to laugh at that thought, who was she kidding?

This suicide mission they were going on could be a one way ticket.

Oma and the others frowned at her.

"Why are you laughing?" asked Rogers with a frown on his face.

Kara tried to control herself. "Aw nothing; just thinking that it will be a miracle if I ever get to Earth."

Oma got more nervous as the female pilot continued laughing; to her the laughter had a hysterical tone to it. She glanced around quickly and could see concern in the faces of the other colonials.

However, before anyone could say a word; the door to the mess hall hissed forward. Kara stopped laughing at once and all turned to watch Laura and Q Junior walk in.

Oma noticed straight away that the girl's top had been changed to a dark green top; she seemed quite calm while Q Junior looked as if he was struggling to control his emotions.

In fact he looked ticked off.

"Where have you been?" Anders asked the question everyone had on their minds.

"The captain and I had a brief discussion on what I can contribute to the recon mission. I passed so I'm in. Any more questions?"

Oma felt her lower jaw drop; she sure hoped she had heard her incorrectly.

"Y...you're too young!" blurted out Starbuck without thinking.

Laura turned a cold look in her direction. "My first official 'assignment' was at the age of 7 years and 6 months; my first kill had been 6 months earlier."

A panicked look appeared on Q Junior's face as he put himself between her and the stunned colonials and one gaping Starfleet ensign.

"Laura...you don't have to tell them, you're already part of the recon; alright?"

She looked at the pleading look on his face for several silent moments then shrugged.

"Whatever dude," she walked casually to the replicator ignoring the horrified stunned looks from the others.

Sharon turned to Q Junior. "Is it true? Did she...?"

Q Junior had a pained expression on his face. "Please don't ask me anymore...it's classified."

Sharon stared at him for a long time then nodded slowly as she swallowed nervously.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kara found herself watching the captain's daughter closely as she replicated a fruit drink and leaned against the bar to sip it.

The pilot's mind was reeling from what she had just heard.

First kill at 7 years old; first 'official assignment' 6 months later?

That sounded like human kills; which means Laura and her father must have been part of a black ops endeavour.

No wonder Logan seemed so uptight and suspicious all the time; the military of his kind had experimented on him and his daughter.

That was enough to make him suspect any military he came across.

Then the question that bothered her was why would he allow Laura to join this highly dangerous mission ?

As if summoned by her disturbing thoughts; the doors slid open once more to reveal the captain in question. He had also changed his shirt to a grey t-shirt and he also looked a bit irritated.

"People; we're taking this meeting to a conference room where it would be easier to design a plan," his eyes moved to Oma who stood up quickly.

"Have you had something to eat Ensign?"

"No sir..." she answered in startled voice.

"Then grab some grub now; cause you're going to need it," without another word he turned round and left the room. Laura was the only one with an odd smile on her face as she followed her father out of the mess hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Jean was cleaning up the medical bay and was trying not to think of the conversation she was yet to have with the sulking presence in her mind.

Finally after putting the final pieces of medical equipment away she sighed deeply.

"Alright Phoenix...you were right and I was wrong. I apologize for ignoring your advice."

There was silence in her mind for a long time.

_**You're really sorry?**_ Asked the Phoenix in a grumpy mental tone.

Jean tried hard not to smile at the entity's attitude.

"Yes, I am really sorry. You were right...but I still don't think Laura should be on this mission."

_**You know what would happen if anyone tried to stop her, right? Trust me when I say her going with Logan**_** is**_** the much better option!**_

Jean still felt uncertain about that.

_**Have I ever been wrong mini-me?**_ Asked the Phoenix calmly.

The telepath sighed. "No, you have never been wrong...just evasive and conniving at times," added Jean with a smile.

She was relieved to hear the Phoenix laugh in her mind.

_**Life would be boring otherwise Jean...by the by; since you have finished up here, it may be best if you joined the others in the conference room by the research lab.**_

Jean was suddenly alert. "Why? What's wrong?!"

_**Chill, no need to fret but your presence may be calming to those present.**_

Jean did not wait for Phoenix to finish, she was already running out of the medical bay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Kara was confused and worried.

The mission was already classified as high risk and now the captain was including his teenage daughter ?!

That was unacceptable; even if the child had been on black op missions more than 300 years ago; she doubted it had been against cylons on a frakking basestar!

Kara found herself walking over to Captain Logan once they reached the conference room.

"Captain, permission to speak freely?"

Logan gave her an odd look. "I might as well hear what's eating you."

"This mission is going to be very dangerous, it's not the place for a child sir."

Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Laura had turned to watch them as well as the others.

There was complete silence as everyone waited for Logan's answer.

He gave Kara a very unnerving look before answering. "The _question _ you should be asking is how she convinced me to include her on the team.

The answer to that is we ran a simulation together and she killed more centurions then I did. I believe the score was 20 to 14 in her favour."

Kara was stunned by his answer. "A...a simulation? What type of simulation are you talking about?"

The captain of the Xavier shared a silent smile with Q Junior before answering.

"Ensign Q Junior will introduce you to it later; you will certainly need to use it for this mission," he paused " it is Laura's programme which I am sure she will be happy to share with the rest of us."

Logan turned to give his daughter a steely smile; the girl's face reddened slightly but she did not break eye contact as she answered.

"Yes captain." Each word was chipped.

Logan nodded and turned back to Kara. "So please reserve any questions you have of the simulation until you experience it."

"I...sure," said a more confounded Kara; it was after the captain moved away that she realized he had smoothly deflected her question.

She frowned and opened her mouth to ask another question.

"What have I missed?" asked Dr Grey as she walked rapidly into the conference room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan turned as the doctor entered the conference room; he was surprised to see her. After their little terse talk she had left for the medical bay to clean it up.

He had thought she needed time to herself and decided not to include her in the next round of meetings. Logan's eyes noticed the red flush of her cheeks and how she tried to control her breathing.

Jean had run all the way to the conference room.

Why?

_**Calm down, just wanted to be here in case anyone got too excited.**_

Logan tried not to frown as Jean tried to reassure him through telepathy.

However he kept quiet as the doctor turned to a startled Starbuck and began to ask her questions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oma had settled for a hasty energy and protein drink before leaving for the conference room.

She was still stunned that Laura was joining them for this mission; surely the girl was too young but her instincts warned her not to confront the captain about this decision.

The Xavier was his ship after all.

Oma was surprised when Lieutenant Thrace confronted him on adding Laura to the mission and was even more stunned with the captain's answer.

As Captain Logan 'ordered' his daughter to show the others her programme, several pieces began to fit.

He had to be talking of a holodeck programme and suddenly she realized where she had heard the term 'danger-room'.

In the book ' Children of the Evolution' Erik Lensherr had described an effective training programme called 'Cerebro' which Professor X had used to locate mutants and train the Xmen.

The training had been done in the 'danger-room'.

Oma suddenly felt her heart rate increase in excitement; part of the Cerebro technology had been the basis for the holodeck tech.

She wondered what sort of training programmes the Xmen had.

"You alright?"

Oma almost jumped at the question; she frowned and turned to face a slightly nervous looking Ensign Rogers.

"Yes, I'm fine...how are your shields holding up?"

The reddening of his cheeks told her enough.

"You dropped them, didn't you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just a bit; they are back up again though."

Oma looked at him silently for a few moments. "How long have you known of your ability?"

Rogers appeared uncomfortable with the question. "Long enough."

The Starfleet ensign bit her lower lip. "I apologize; I did not mean to pry. It is none of my business."

Rogers opened his mouth to reply.

"Eh guys, maybe you could do this chat later, because it looks like we're about to start planning for real," said Anders in a soft tone that carried only to the two ensigns.

Both ensigns gave him a grateful look then shared a quick embarrassed glance before concentrating on the captain.

However they missed the small amused smile on Anders face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan decided to just accept Jean's presence and get on with this meeting which had been delayed once too often.

"Q Junior, at our current speed what's our ETA with the cylon's location ?"

"13 hours 55 minutes and 12 seconds, captain."

Logan nodded at the crisp reply. "Then we need to get a move on," he looked at each of the people gathered.

"The Xavier has met the cylons three times and each time we scanned their ships." Logan walked to the large rectangular conference table with it's transparent top.

He touched the surface lightly and it lit up to the amazement of the colonials.

Oma already knew what it was; it acted as a computer and holo-projector.

Standard equipment for Starfleet research labs.

Logan began to touch symbols that appeared.

"From the information we have gathered so far; this is your basic basestar."

A ship shaped like two Ys joined in the middle appeared at the centre of the table. Kara's lower jaw dropped as a sizable 4 dimensional holo-image of the star-like ship was formed floating above the table.

"We already know the vulnerable parts of a basestar to missiles; but what we need to know right now is where is the heart of this ship?

Where is it's main computer...because we need serious intel."

Logan turned to Sharon. "Your turn."

The cylon swallowed nervously and stepped up to the table; she pointed at the where the two Ys were joined.

"The Hybrid will be right here."

Laura smiled slowly. "Right in the middle."

"What's a hybrid?" the question came from Dr Grey.

Sharon hesitated a bit before answering. "The Hybrid is the heart of the basestar, It's part biological and part mechanical...and not completely sentient but there have been arguments about that."

Jean shared a frown with Logan but both kept silent as the cylon continued.

" A hybrid is housed in an immersion tank and attached to the mechanical parts of the basestar with umbilicals. She..."

Q Junior had a stunned look on his face when he interrupted her. "The hybrid is female?"

Sharon appeared uncomfortable at his question. "Well...yes; she controls the the life support; navigation, FTL jumps you name it. The Hybrid _is_ the basestar."

"What happens if you kill the Hybrid?" it was no surprise that the question came from Laura.

Sharon closed her eyes briefly while Kara gave the female teen an approving nod.

"You destroy the basestar if you do that," said Sharon.

Laura looked very thoughtful while Q Junior looked a bit worried.

"We can't do that," everyone looked at the hologram "especially not when we're still on the ship," he pointed at the middle of one of the arms.

"From the scan, your child could be right here," he pointed at the middle of one the arms of the 'Y'.

Sharon went very pale. "One of the medical bays is in that area," she whispered anxiously.

Jean and Logan shared a puzzled look.

"One of the medical bays?" asked the doctor.

Sharon nodded absently as she kept looking at the hologram.

"Each basestar has 10 medical bays; some obviously smaller than the rest," she paused " why is she in the medical bay?"

The question did not seem to be directed to anyone but Logan answered.

"We'll find out when we get there. The next question is how do we get the intel we need?" he looked around as if for suggestions.

"Beam the child out and hack the computer for the info."

Everyone turned to face Oma.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

When the table projected the holo-image of the basestar, Oma found her feet taking her closer to the table.

She had never seen a ship like this.

Oma loved to fly ships and had almost memorised the entire Starfleet ship manual which not only identified ships of the Federation but also ships of the Klingon and Romulan Empire.

She had answered automatically when the captain asked for suggestions.

Logan looked at her and suddenly she wished she had kept silent.

"A good idea...however the question is what risks are associated with that plan?"

Oma was puzzled by his answer.

Logan turned to Q Junior and nodded at him.

"The cylons seemed quite fond of hacking into ships and taking over it's systems.

They have tried it with the Xavier more than once and failed each time," the male ensign paused " I can use the ship's computer to hack into their system but there is the risk of the cylon's becoming more ...familiar with the Xavier's interface and thus..."

"Making it easier for them to hack your ship's computer later" completed Sharon, she looked at Oma " Ensign Q Junior is right...my people learn very fast if you give them the chance and believe me they would love to take over this ship."

Oma stared at them in shock. "So you want us to board an enemy vessel just to check it's computers and rescue a child?

Excuse me sir; but it is going to be hard and dangerous. Hacking their computer systems may be the best way since our tech is more advanced..."

"That didn't stop Starfleet from hacking the Borg cubes who if you recall have_ more advanced computer programmes,"_ interrupted Q Junior calmly without looking at her " also may I add the recent Dominion War when the Starfleet Alliance had the same problems with the Breen and the Dominion...but were still able to defeat them?"

Kara and Sharon looked at each other at the odd names.

Borg, Breen, Dominion?

Just how many wars had Earth been in lately?!

"Your point?" asked a flushed Oma between clenched teeth.

Q Junior now looked at her. "My point comrade is that we cannot afford to make the same mistake the Borg , the Breen _and _the Dominion made.

Just because we have advanced tech does not give us the luxury to underestimate the enemy especially when we are yet to know exactly what we're dealing with."

The hologram and the female ensign maintained eye contact for a long moment.

A slight cough broke the stand-off. They both turned to face an amused captain.

"Ensigns...you're both right. We can't afford to let the Xavier get hacked and

Ms Kadretti, this is definitely going to be a hard and dangerous mission and there is the high risk that we could get captured in the process."

There were uncomfortable looks at his words.

"But they don't know we're coming," added Logan

"Surprise may not be enough sir," Oma mentioned tentatively.

"It does give you an extra edge if we're fast and efficient," added Laura in a calm voice. Oma stared at her in disbelief.

"Which is why we will have a standby shuttle in case we need to fly in or beam in at close quarters. Ensign Kadretti will be piloting."

Sharon raised a hand. "There might be another issue with the...beaming tech."

Q Junior looked at her. "Like what Lieutenant." Asked the hologram politely.

"When you use the...beam, does it give off an energy reading?"

Q Junior had a puzzled expression on her face. "Yes, it does."

Sharon sighed. "I'm not entirely sure...but the basestar internal sensors may notice the energy readings and they will certainly send centurions or cylons to investigate."

"I guess that rules the transporters out then," said Jean in a resigned tone.

Logan frowned but said nothing for a while.

"We'll come up with something," he tried to sound confident. Logan leaned on the table as he looked at the rotating basestar.

"Lieutenant Agathon, talk me through the basestar and what we could expect."

Sharon nodded and everyone kept silent as she started speaking.

"This current carrier model was designed and built about 6 years ago. Its 1034 metres by 268metres.

There are 240 turret launchers mounted throughout the arms and central axis," she touched the holographic arms and was a bit stunned when the section enlarged to show the launchers. She recovered quickly and continued.

"Raider launch slots number 890...and those are light and heavy raiders which are ready to be deployed apart from those undergoing repairs and re-programming."

Laura looked a bit startled while Q Junior and Oma appeared a bit pale.

Dr Grey was holding her jaw thoughtfully, Logan's face was blank.

"Crew is divided into cylons and centurions.

Any basestar can have cylons in numbers from 100 to 450, centurions usually number around 1400."

One could hear a pin drop in the silence.

"Now that...is interesting," said Logan with a grave tone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Oma felt herself going dizzy with what she just heard.

890 Raiders...which had to be small ships from what she could see flying out of the holographic basestar.

450 cylons and 1400 centurions?!

This recon was a suicide mission.

She looked at the colonials closet to her and was just in time to catch Rogers staring at her. He bit his lower lip and turned away.

Then she realized that he was frightened as well, she turned her gaze on the others.

Lieutenant Thrace had a grim look on her face, Sharon's husband Helo looked very worried while Ander's expression was identical to that of his wife's.

He noticed Oma looking at him and he gave her a sad smile and nodded slowly.

Oma turned back to the table as Sharon continued speaking.

"There is definitely more than one basestar but I have no idea how many because such info was considered need-to-know in case we were captured," she paused " Captain...you were able to destroy one basestar with one missile."

"Only because they didn't have shields," pointed out Logan as he continued to stare at the basestar "this time we will be entering into it. It's going to be a completely different ball-game." He looked at Q Junior.

"Any ideas on how to maximise the chances of all of us coming back in one piece Q?"

The hologram nodded slowly. " I have an idea," he looked at Sharon.

"What type of weapons should we expect?"

"The centurions we saw on Hera's planet are of the model 005. They can modify their hands into 4 bladed claws and also into 3-barrel submachine guns. Best way to bring them down is with penetrating explosive rounds," the answer came from Kara.

Everyone looked at her.

"Exactly how long are their claws?" asked Laura "are they like mine?"

_Snikt!_ All stared at the two metallic claws protruding from her right hand.

Kara found her hand going for a weapon and realized she had removed it in the medical bay while having her assessment done after being beamed from the weapon. Laura noticed the move and smiled evilly.

"Laura, thank you," said Logan in a stern voice.

"You're welcome captain," said Laura in a pleasant voice before she retracted them.

Kara forced herself to calm down, she looked at her fellow colonials and all except Anders and Rogers appeared stunned.

They had heard the girl had metal bound to her bones like her father but seeing it was something else entirely.

"Em...yes, they are slightly shorter...it takes a lot to bring one of those things down," she paused and forced herself to say it " we're almost out of armour-penetrating bullets."

Q Junior's frown deepened. "What type of ammo do they use and what other weapons are available to them?"

Kara continued. "Usually normal bullets to kill us; it's only when we put on body armour...which is scare as well... that's when they upgrade to armour piercing bullets.

Then when they want to get really creative, they bring out rocket launchers...at that point if you're not under cover...you're fr...I mean toast."

Kara was about to use the 'frak' word but an odd firm voice in her heard advised her not to, she turned slightly to see Jean giving her a stern look.

The colonial pilot tried not to pee in her pants.

Dr Grey was one very odd oracle.

"Thanks for the info Lieutenant Thrace...I think we will need bullet proof suits or armour and I can replicate weapons with hollow point bullets for the colonials."

Kara stared at the hologram in shock.

"You're giving us weapons?" asked Anders as if he could read her mind.

Logan nodded. "Weapons very similar to what you currently use."

Kara's stunned look changed to a frown. "Surely you can spare a few laser weapons for us to use."

Logan gave a small smile. "Prime directive and I say otherwise," he turned to the others.

"If no one else has anything else to contribute to this meeting then we..." his voice trailed off when he saw Helo had his hand in the air.

"Yes, captain Agathon."

"Sir...I wish to be included in this mission."

Logan nodded, he should have expected this.

"You are already part of it...Dr Grey, you and Ensign Rogers are our back up plan in case things really go South," he paused " beside I already have one _couple _ in this team..."

He had the satisfaction of seeing Kara and Anders looked embarrassed.

"...having a second anxious couple will certainly complicate matters."

Helo glared at the captain. "With all due respect sir, I..."

"You need to stay on board the Xavier," cut in Logan a bit sharply then he softened his tone "Mr Agathon, we're already 6 going on this mission which is in my view a _very _large number.

Adding one more person will increase the risk to each of us...including your daughter."

The colonial captain stared at Logan for a long time in silence.

"I understand sir...I will comply."

Logan nodded and the tension in the room seemed to reduce.

"I...have a question."

Logan gave Jean a sharp look, her tone sounded...reluctant.

_**Please do not get upset.**_

She glanced at him before turning to face someone in particular.

"Junior Lieutenant Anders."

The colonial officer tensed as the doctor called his name.

"Yes ma'am," his voice sounded steady but Jean could already tell he was very nervous.

"You said you have never been on a basestar before...is there anyone here apart from Sharon ...who has been on any _other _basestar in the past?"

Logan frowned but the extremely pale expression on Kara's face told him that there was a point to Jean's supposedly random question.

Jean's gaze slid from the stunned Anders and seemed to pin Starbuck in place.

The female pilot nervously ran her hand through her hair. "I have been on a basestar before...a much older model," she added hastily when she was the thunder on Logan's face.

"Those models were over 40 years old, I think there are none left now," added Sharon.

Logan looked at her for a moment then turned back to Kara.

"You didn't feel that was important enough for us to know?" his voice was soft but it chilled Kara's bones.

"Sir...as there are many things you cannot tell me, there are certain things I cannot share with you. I was not given authorization to do so."

Logan held her gaze for a long time and she dropped her's eventually.

"Good answer," said the man to everyone's surprise.

"However that does not mean I like being left in the dark. We are working together, I will not ask you to betray your people but with-holding intel that could endanger my crew is not going to improve diplomatic relations.

You dig?"

Kara looked at his hard blue-grey eyes and made a mental note to remind herself that this man was not to be pissed off under any circumstances.

"I dig sir."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Laura was smiling to herself when Jean neatly cornered the female pilot into revealing something that she should have mentioned.

The female teenager could count on one hand the people she trusted.

Jean, Q Junior and Logan.

As for the new recruit Oma, she was yet to know who she was and what she could do.

As for the colonials, it was going to take a _lot _before she could trust them even a little. She still thought having them on board was a bad idea but it wasn't like they had a choice.

Laura found her mind returning to Oma. Was she a mutant?

That had to be impossible because mutant human hybrids were supposed to be oh-so-rare. She had not been updated on how the girl survived the journey through the wormhole.

She turned to glance at Q Junior who was keeping a wary eye on both the colonials and the still angry Logan.

Laura found herself smiling at how angry he had been over her use of the holodeck without safety protocols.

She found his concern a bit...endearing.

As if he read her thoughts; he looked at her and his frown deepened before he turned away.

Great, he's still mad thought Laura with an internal sigh.

She wished he could give him time to get over it but there were questions about Oma she had to ask him.

Laura glanced at the female Starfleet ensign, her attention was sorely on Logan and Dr Grey. There was an expression that seemed like part awe part fear on her face.

Just brilliant we have got a fan girl thought Laura acidly.

Let's see how fast that hero-worship attitude fades.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Logan looked at the people around him.

"Now that we have confirmed once again who is coming for this mission, let's come up with a plan on how to get into the basestar. Q you mentioned something about an idea."

The hologram nodded then spoke carefully.

"Since we're flying in...we need to look the part. What I mean is a holo projection from devices placed on the hull of one of the shuttles to look like a heavy cylon raider."

Sharon blinked several times at his words, while Kara and the others gave him stunned looks.

"You...you can do that?" asked Helo in disbelief.

Q nodded thoughtfully as he touched a smaller holographic ship which had come out of the basestar.

"This is a heavy raider yes?"

Kara nodded warily. "Yeah and?"

"Dimensions are almost similar to that of the Starfleet Delta shuttle design. Also once we get on board we need to appear...similar to the crew of the basestar."

Laura's mild laughter startled the colonials and Oma who were standing close to her.

"Oh, I love where this is going."

Q Junior just glared at her and continued.

"I have to admit, Laura takes the credit because I got the idea from her simulation."

Laura gave him a two finger salute.

Q Junior removed the circular device on his shoulder and began to use a stylus to press some buttons on it.

"So devices such as mine will make us appear as centurions, please do be alarmed. It will still be me."

Before anyone could say a word, he returned the device to his shoulder.

It had hardly been reattached before Q Junior disappeared and what stood in his place was an 8 foot centurion.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anders heard an alarmed yell and realized later that it came from him, even Sharon looked spooked and Helo and Kara appeared as if they were about to pass out.

Poor Rogers looked as white as a sheet.

Ensign Kadretti looked alarmed , then curious.

Captain Logan and Jean stared in surprise at the centurion that stood next to the captain while Laura was laughing and clapping her hands.

"Excellent idea Q! This is going to be fun!"

The 'centurion' turned to her then his voice seemed to come from around it.

"I'm glad you approve," it turned back to face the scared looking colonials "from your expressions...it is identical to the real thing?"

"Y...yes," said Kara faintly "just change back please."

The image of the centurion looked at her for a brief moment and it long metal arm reached up and touched the left shoulder as if digging out a an object.

Once the circular disc appeared; Q Junior was back in his red and black Starfleet uniform.

"Going in as centurions...that's going to be very dangerous," said Jean in a worried voice.

"It's not just that...making your shuttle look like a raider is not enough to get it inside a base star. It needs a designation and codes which I am not up to date on," said Sharon cautiously.

Q Junior now had a frown on his face.

"Where we're going is bound to have patrols...we grab a raider, get it's codes and hey presto we're it's identical twin."

Everyone looked at Laura.

"This plan is way too uncertain," complained Helo.

"It could work." Rogers felt the attention turned to him.

"The Gods tell you that Rogers?" asked Kara tentatively.

The ensign flushed. "I don't claim to speak for them Lieutenant...I just feel...it could work."

Kara's face fell, then she looked at him with a frown on her face.

"I...I'm new to this Lieutenant. I can't predict that far ahead...I'm not even sure I could...it's just my gut feeling."

Kara stared at him. "You knew what I was going to say...didn't you?"

Rogers' face reddened even more. "The question was on your face ma'am."

"People...we have come up with a plan which is a big step. However what we need to do now is make preparations.

Is there anyone here who is yet to have their medicals?"

Helo and Anders gave each other an uneasy look.

"Mr Agathon and Mr Anders have been delayed due to current circumstances, I can get the medicals done quickly," said Jean calmly.

Logan looked at her and nodded while he decided to ignore the anxious looks on the faces of the two men.

"Fine, once the medicals are done please report to Q Junior for body armour measurements and weapons. After that Laura will take you on a short tour of her simulation," he glanced at his daughter "which will have the safety protocols in place as usual."

Laura rolled her eyes while the colonials gave each other worried looks.

"Yes captain," she answered finally.

"Captain," called Q Junior "I would work a lot faster if Lieutenant Thrace and Lieutenant Agathon assisted me."

Logan gave the two female colonials an inquiring look.

"Yeah that sounds like a good idea," said Sharon a bit eagerly. Starbuck's expression of worry had been replaced by curiosity.

She was probably still hoping she could get to try out some Starfleet weapons.

Not on Logan's watch.

"Ensign Kadretti and Ensign Rogers can accompany me to the medical bay," said Jean to the ensigns' surprise.

"Eh...sure Dr Grey," said Oma a bit uncertainly.

"We have 3 hours to get this all done, and then the team going for the recon will rest for 4 hours. I'm heading to the bridge..."

"I'm coming with you captain," interrupted Laura smoothly.

Logan gave her an odd look, she had something up her sleeve.

"Alright, let's get moving people," he said in a firm voice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Logan and Laura walked silently down the corridor to the bridge.

The female teen looked around her before turning to her 'father'.

"What do we know about Ensign Kadretti?"

Logan gave Laura a wry smile.

"Ah...curious about how she got here are you?"

Laura narrowed her eyes. "By her shuttle...or is there something else? " she was clearly impatient.

Logan's dry smile widened even more which seemed to infuriate her further.

"She's a mutant...she had the ability to magnetize metal."

The girl beside him looked a bit stunned. "You sure about this?"

Logan knew Laura was also surprised at the fact of the rare possibility of a human-hybrid having an ability.

"Ensign Kadretti was able to lift me off the floor without touching me."

Laura's face darkened with an expression which worried Logan.

"She's no threat to us Laura."

She stared at Logan.

"How can you be so sure?" her tone was hard " we barely know her."

Logan was quiet for a while as they walked. "Jean assures me everything she has told us has been the truth...however she may have been hiding the fact that she had an ability."

Laura looked both puzzled and suspicious at the same time. "Why would she do that? I thought everything was all roses and pearls in this current time."

Logan nodded at her sarcastic tone. "So did I...but then I guess she has a good reason...I would also appreciate it if you did not try to beat it out of her."

Laura almost faltered in her stride.

"I look that obvious to you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Logan returned the stare. "Oh yeah, you so do."

The female teenager was silent for a while. "Fine, I won't stress her...are we going to tell her everything?"

Logan proceeded to inform Laura what had already been revealed to Ensign Kadretti.

Laura sighed wearily. "I'm astonished that you have not already told her of the _complete_ holographic message we got from the temple or even about the CMS!"

"You think we told her too much?" said Logan idly.

The two had reached the bridge at this point.

Laura waited until they got inside.

"Duh yeah! What if she spills it to the colonials?"

Logan shook his head firmly. "She won't."

"Oh please enlighten me as to how _sure _you are of that!" Laura was very irritated.

"She's a sticker for doing things by the book and she will not break Starfleet regulations," said Logan confidently.

Laura stared at him for a long time as he took his seat on the bridge.

"We better not regret this pops. Any thing else I should know?"

Logan thought for a moment. "We tried to contact the USS Dunkirk to inform them of what has happened, but we were unable to reach them so we sent a message to Ensign Kadretti's parents instead."

Logan watched his daughter's mouth form an 'O' in shock.

"What?! You told her parents!?" Her voice could only be described as being shrill.

The captain closed his eyes briefly. It seemed like according to Laura he was could never do anything right.

"Her father is the second in command of a Starfleet Galaxy class ship, definitely someone who is senior enough to contact Starfleet headquarters to tell them what is going on...as well as informing him and his wife that their only child is still alive."

Laura opened her mouth to say something, then shut it quickly.

Awkward silence passed before she could trust herself to speak again.

"Oh...I guess that's okay then."

Logan stared at her in shock, he had expected an argument.

"Well, since I now know what you know...I will head on back to the research lab and watch Q's back while he's working with our guests. That okay?"

The captain nodded while trying to hide his relief. "Yeah, that's fine."

Laura nodded a bit quickly and left the bridge.

Logan sighed once she was gone, he had an idea why she had quickly run away again.

He could bet that Laura had never run away from a fight before but show her what a family meant and she took to her heels. Jean had advised him to be patient with her.

He barely knew her and Laura seemed to know a bit about him but had never said what it was exactly.

Logan did not like dwelling in the past and he had accepted almost from the beginning of this weird risky adventure that Laura was his family, his responsibility but at times he was left feeling he was handling the entire situation badly.

Even though Laura's creation had only been possible through others, Logan still felt what happened to Laura had been his fault.

Logan took several deep calming breathes as anger threatened to overwhelm him; this was not the time or place to lose his cool.

He had to focus on the mission.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Laura was pensive and silent as she walked back to the research lab, there were so many emotions running through her.

What did it feel like to have parents who were concerned about you? Who watched you grow up?

For a long moment she envied Ensign Kadretti, the girl had to be a teenager but she seemed so sure of herself.

Laura shook her head minutely and tried to focus on the task ahead.

She had competed against Logan to get herself on this mission, pondering on 'what ifs' was not in her best interest.

Laura took a deep breath and walked into the research lab.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

The three people bent over the table-projector looked up when she walked in.

Q Junior had seemed a bit glad to see her before he remembered he was supposed to be upset with her for a very good reason.

Laura hid a smile as she walked up to the table.

"So, where we at?"

Kara and Sharon looked a bit puzzled at her question.

Q Junior however understood.

"Just designing the body armour we're going to be wearing...it will be according to colonial standards please," the last bit was said as he gave Kara a stern look.

"Let me guess, she wanted something from the Starfleet line?" said Laura in a dry tone.

Kara raised her hands in annoyance. "We're going up against cylons inside their basestar! We need to be prepared !"

"She does have a point," added Sharon calmly.

Laura looked at Q Junior, it concerned her that he looked worried.

"What can we do within the Directive Q ?"

He gave her a thoughtful look. "There is something we can do," he paused "your weapons are almost similar to 21st century Earth weapons.

Replicating that will not be a problem...I might as well consider body armour from that era as well."

"You want us geared up in stuff that is 300 years out of date?!" asked Kara in a loud angry voice.

Q Junior was not in one bit intimidated by her anger, he was yet to meet anyone who could scare him like his mum or Aunt Janeway.

"Yes," was his simple answer as he walked to a large replicator in the centre of the lab.

Kara released a hiss of frustration and turned to find Laura had a wry look on her face. It appeared that the captain's daughter was amused by the pilot's childish behaviour.

The pilot tried not to lose her temper as she turned and went after the hologram with purposeful steps.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Sharon was not fooled by the smile on Laura's face.

This girl was here to protect Q Junior from _them._

The slightest sign of an intent to harm and Sharon had no doubt in her mind that the girl before her would not hesitate to terminate their lives.

As if Laura read her mind, she turned her head slowly in Sharon's direction and after a while; slowly nodded.

The female cylon swallowed nervously and went after her friend and colleague.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

Kara felt like she was hitting her head against a brick wall, what was wrong with these people?

They needed superior weapons to go against the cylons, not pea-shooters!

She opened her mouth to argue her case once again when the hologram began to press buttons on what had to be a bigger replicator.

"What are you doing?" asked the colonial pilot as curiosity worn over anger.

"Making a weapon," said Q Junior in a serious tone.

Before Kara could say a word, there was the sound of the replicator going on, then in a few seconds she could see something forming.

Kara hardly acknowledged the presence of Sharon as she too came to observe what Q Junior was doing.

After a few more seconds, Q Junior was removing something that the two colonials were both familiar and not familiar with.

"This is a Belgian Fabrique Nationale P90 submachine gun. Created in the year 1991.

Weighs 2.6kg, 50.5cm in length, barrel length 26.4cm, width 5.5cm, height 21cm.

Action; straight blowback and closed bolt.

Rate of fire 900RPM..."

Kara had to whistle at that, Q kept talking.

"Muzzle velocity 715m/s, armour piercing with an effective range of 200metres, max range 1,800metres..."

Sharon mouthed oh my Gods

"Feed system 50-round detachable box magazine," Q removed the clip with ease showed it to the two colonials and put it back in.

"Sights are tritium-illuminated reflex with back up iron sights," the hologram demonstrated with the weapon as he lifted it easily and carefully aimed at a random area away from the colonials and Laura.

He lowered the weapon making sure the safety was on, then pointed it to the floor before presenting it to Starbuck.

"Will this be sufficient?"

The female colonial pilot took the weapon from him as if it was a rare treasure, it was black, light, sleek and deadly.

If this was what they had 300 years ago, then Earth was definitely not to be _frakked_ with.

"Heck yeah, this will be sufficient alright."

She missed the troubled look on Q Junior's face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Sharon saw the deadly weapon that was somewhat similar to the colonial S49s and also very different.

It was lighter, shorter, with a 50 percent increase on the rate of fire, 40 percent increase in effective and maximum range and had more rounds per magazine.

It was years if not decades ahead of what the colonials currently had.

She had been quick to catch the worried look on the hologram's face when Kara had practically drooled all over the weapon.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Sharon without thinking. The hologram looked at her and for a moment she thought he was more than just a program but that feeling passed too quickly before she could dwell on it further.

"Yes...according to Starfleet regulations, supplying weapons to a civilization that is not as technically advanced as the supplier is not allowed.

That is why I have tried to supply something on your current level of weapons...but now I am afraid that even what I have picked may be too advanced."

At his words, a panicked look appeared on Kara's face, she hugged the weapon to her chest. "No ! This is alright...I mean it's kinda what we used against the cylons!"

Laura's eyes narrowed, something did not smell right.

"She's partly right," said Sharon carefully, then sighed as she decided she had to let them know now "...however we have weapons like this called the S49s, they are not as light or have as an effective range as your FNP90s."

Kara glared at Sharon. "Athena!"

The cylon gave her an apologetic look while Laura seemed startled by Sharon's honesty.

Q Junior had a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the weapon in Kara's arms.

Then he sighed and looked at Laura. "What do you think?"

Laura stared at Kara and Sharon for a long time. While the Starfleet regulations were useful; they were also a pain in the neck.

The cylons seemed better equipped than the colonials and only a suicidal fool would infiltrate their basestar without being properly armed.

For one's choice of weapon may be all that stood before the bearer and the oblivion of death.

"Learn how to use it properly and safely; you're going to need it."

Kara almost collapsed with relief. "Eh...yeah," she tried to compose herself as she tried to forget a 13 year old girl had just spoken to her like a drill sergeant.

"So what else have you got for us?" Kara tried to ask in a calm tone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sharon watched as the hologram replicated a small handgun and explain it's specifics.

He called it a FN Five –Seven

Weight was 610g empty and 744g loaded, length 208mm, barrel length 122mm, width 36mm, height 137mm.

Action was delayed blowback, rate of fire ,semi-automatic.

Muzzle velocity 650m/s, armour piercing, effective range of 50m, max range of 1510m. Extended magazine of 30 rounds in each. Sight was a three-dot adjustable design.

Once again it was years ahead what colonials had.

The boys were going to be so thrilled when they saw the new toys Q Junior had made. Sharon could hardly wait to see what would be their body armour.

Then she heard Kara ask a question.

"Q Junior, I just need to know...is Earth's armed forces made up of holograms?" asked Kara tentatively.

Q Junior shocked her by laughing.

"Oh no ! Do you realize the risk that would entail if someone was able to hack into the system and take control of the holograms?"

Kara smiled wryly. "I see so your brass has got some functioning brain cells...so what exactly do holograms of your sort do?"

Q Junior smiled back at her. "Sorry, can't tell you," he didn't sound sorry at all " need to know and all that."

"Of course," said Kara sarcastically.

"What's next?" asked Laura who had gradually drifted closer as Q made more weapons.

"Body armour," said the hologram cheerfully.

"Ah my favourite, I get to test them out," said Laura with a small smile on her face.

Sharon tried not to dwell on the image of the blades in the girl's arms.

"Okay," started Q Junior as he began to pull up and visualize holographic images of different body armours of 21st century Earth.

"If you would be so kind as to point out which ones you like, we can go over the pros and cons of each."

Later when Kara thought back on what he had done, she realized it was similar to going to a shopping mall with friends and picking out clothes.

Except in this case, it was 'outfits' designed to protect the wearer from bullets and only the Gods-knew-what-else.

Some of the armours she, Sharon and even Laura rejected outright even before he had finished describing them.

Then after they had looked at what had to be dozens, he pulled up one that made the three females sit up and take notice.

"This is a...modified version of an x-man body armour," Laura gave him a sharp glance, Sharon's and Kara glanced at each other at the name of the outfit.

"It's total weight is 10.8kg," the three stared at him in surprise.

Sharon knew of colonial body armour that weighed twice what he just said.

Q continued. "Thus improving mobility and accessibility as well as speed on the battle field. It consists of the a neck throat and collar protection that merges with the chest and abdominal tactical vest and the sleeves. The material is triple reinforced specially treated Kevlar.

This same material is part of the upper and lower legs'protectors which are also reinforced with soft Kevlar multi-jointed greaves over thigh high combat boots."

He paused. "It of course comes in various sizes for both males and females."

Kara was silent as she observed the floating holographic outfit before her.

It was black, sleek streamlined and did not look bulky as that of the colonial armour."

"What of head gear?" asked Laura.

Q looked at her in surprise and she sighed.

"Captain Logan and I won't need it but _they _ will." She pointed at Kara and Sharon.

Q flushed. "You're got a point...I can come up with something fast." He began to search the data base.

"Ensign Q, you said this used to be an x-man uniform...what's an x-man?" asked Sharon carefully.

Laura and the hologram shared a silent look.

"Never mind, I guess you can't tell me..."

"It was the captain's former team before he was...put into stasis," said Laura.

Kara and Sharon stared at her in shock, they had not expected that.

"Piece of advice? Don't ask him about it," said Laura as she calmly met their stunned gazes. She turned to Q Junior thus effectively ending that conversation.

"So, you found some suitable headgear?"

"Hmmm...maybe," said Q Junior as he brought up the image of a 21st Earth Century Mich style military training helmet.

"No, no no," protested Kara "I need to see where I'm going and what I'm shooting at. Besides helmets as part of body armour are only effective if one has trained with it for _months_...and we only have a few hours."

"It could be the only thing between you and a bullet Lieutenant," said Laura calmly.

Kara looked at her. "You have got a point but I may just be as dead if my peripheral vision is lost due to that thing being on my head."

Q Junior sighed. "Let's just keep it by the side and try it later...is everyone satisfied with the current body armour ?"

The three females looked at each other and nodded slowly.

"Excellent, now let's replicate some and try them out, shall we?" said Q Junior as he rubbed his hands with nervous glee.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**Medical bay...**_

Oma had been wondering why Dr Grey asked her to accompany the colonials to the medical bay but once they got there she realized why.

Dr Grey put her to work as soon as they got there and she gave epads to Oma and asked her to assign Junior Lieutenant Anders and Captain Agathon to bio-beds.

Straight away she picked up on Ander's anxiety, it was so obvious, on his face and in his body language. She wondered if he was worried about the 'alien' medical equipment...or if he was worried about something else.

Oma also found herself trying to keep an eye on Rogers as well.

He looked a bit better but was still a bit pale and tired looking; she sure hoped he was practicing holding his mental shields in place.

Dr Grey watched Oma as she set in the parameters for the medical, then the doctor stepped up and began to speak to an increasingly anxious looking Mr Anders.

"Junior Lieutenant Anders, are you alright?"

There was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Em...I'm fine ma'am...just a bit nervous around hospitals."

Jean seemed to look at him for a long time, then nodded. "I understand...you were present when Ensign Rogers was reviewed. He was not harmed at all."

Anders opened his mouth to say something and quickly shut it.

Jean raised an eyebrow. "You wish to say something?" her voice was soft and encouraging.

"I know Rogers was not harmed...but why does he look so pale?"

Everyone turned to the ensign who gave them a wan smile.

"Not their fault sir, I'm just not very good at this shielding mind stuff...if you don't mind me saying sir...your anxiety is contributing to the headache I'm having at the moment."

Anders gaped at him. "I...I had no idea..."

"Let's just do this so that your anxiety levels go down, can I proceed?" interrupted Jean softly.

He looked at her for several moments then nodded hastily as if he was about to lose his nerves.

Oma stood back and moved to Captain Agathon's bio-bed as the doctor took a quick medical history. She did not linger so as not to eavesdrop, Anders may have some personal info he didn't want to share with anyone.

"Hi," said Helo in a friendly manner as she walked up to him.

"Hi," she responded a bit timidly. She was not sure how to speak to the captain, he and his wife seemed different from the others.

When Kara and Anders stared at her, it was like they were seeing something they never thought existed. With part excitement and part fear.

It was their fear that Oma was worried about, because there was a thin line between fear and hatred of the unknown and the different.

Rogers stared at her with...an expression that she was finding very hard to classify. It was not fear but some sort of expectation.

As for Helo and Sharon, the couple seemed to regard her with a look of wonder.

Oma felt deep down that Helo had to be a really special guy to love and marry a female cylon; after all that decision must have raised all sorts of hell among the colonial refugees.

She wondered what type of resistance and aggression they had to deal with.

"You alright?" asked Helo as he interrupted her thoughts.

Oma smiled nervously. "Eh...yeah, just miles away. Sorry about that."

She input some data into his bio-bed computer.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Oma looked at his earnest curious face, she found herself saying.

"Sure."

Helo seemed to colour slightly but continued with his question. "Your parents, where are they from...if you don't mind me asking?"

Oma stared at him for several moments.

"My father Trey Kadretti is from the United States of Africa on Earth, my mother Nadia is part human and part klingon. Our home is Earth."

Helo's eyes widened in surprise.

Here it comes, he's going to say something negative thought Oma.

"Earth accepted you," it was not a question " will they accept a half-cylon child?"

Oma realized the second part was the real question, she looked at the fragile hope in his eyes and she knew he and his wife must have had it rough among the colonials.

But how the hell had the child ended up with the cylons?

"Earth and the Federation accepts all, human, non-human, mutants, non-mutants. That is why I am a member of Starfleet."

Oma was stunned to see his eyes become suspiciously bright, the older man blinked several times and tried to speak in a normal voice.

"That...that is very good to hear. I pray Sharon...Hera and I get to stand on Earth some day."

Oma smiled reassuringly at him. "You will."

A slight cough behind her had them turning to face Rogers who had an odd expression on his face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Helo took one look at Ensign Roger's face and sighed inwardly.

The junior officer was looking at him with a clear message on his face.

Back off.

Helo tried not to smile, he had not even been remotely flirting with the female Starfleet officer. Ever since he realized she was part human and part...klingon he had found it very hard to believe.

Humans and aliens living together and having families?

He knew of many religious nut jobs who would have massive coronary events at the thought of such occurring on the Thirteenth Colony. He could not wait to see how the brass reacted.

Helo compressed his lips at the still look on Roger's face and decided to speak before the ensign tried to slug him.

"I was asking Ensign Kadretti about her parents and Earth...it sounds like the sort of place I would like to settle on with Sharon and Hera."

Rogers' expression seemed to soften a bit while Oma stared at him with a puzzled look.

"You alright Ensign Rogers?"

The colonial ensign reddened at her question. "Yes...just wanted to em...take part in the conversation."

Helo had to struggle not to laugh at the boy's inane reply.

Anders and Kara had been right, the boy was taken with Ensign Kadretti.

The funny thing is that she did not have a clue as to what was going on.

In spite of the fact that they were all heading towards possible doom and destruction, the scene before him was priceless and it was taking all his willpower not to laugh.

As if sensing his hidden amusement, Rogers shot him a quick murderous glare.

That almost set Helo off.

What stopped him from laughing was when Dr Grey walked over with a relieved looking Anders.

"I'm okay," said Anders cheerfully.

"So...you're not a mutant," said Rogers with a dry smile.

Anders seemed embarrassed, it occurred to Helo that the thought of being a mutant may have been what was making him so jumpy earlier.

"Captain Agathon, it's your turn," said Dr Grey calmly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Helo was calm as he answered the female doctor's questions, his two male colleagues were chatting with Ensign Kadretti nearby.

Or rather Anders was doing most of the talking while Rogers gazed at an oblivious Ihuoma Kadretti.

Helo stood up when it was time for the body scan and he had to admit to himself that using all this high tech medical equipment was a bit un-nerving.

He bet if Dr Cottle had been in here , he would have been doing cart-wheels in a second.

"Captain Agathon, just a couple of questions ? Did any of your ancestors have any...special abilities?"

Helo froze at her question.

"I...eh...I was adopted as a baby. I have no idea who were my biological parents were."

Jean stared at him in surprise then she recovered quickly and made notes on her epadd. "I see."

Helo was now getting nervous. "Is...is something wrong?"

Jean stared at him for a while. "Nothing is wrong, it's just that you have the mutant gene."

Helo felt his knees turn to jelly and almost fell but a gentle but unseen firm force seemed to guide him to the bio-bed to sit down.

He was unaware of the nearby chatter ceasing and the approach of two colonials and one Starfleet officer.

"W...what?"

Jean gave him a reassuring smile. "You have the gene however in you it's dormant."

"Hey Helo, you alright?" called Anders with an anxious look on his face.

Helo turned to him slowly with a stunned expression on his face.

"I...I have the mutant gene."

The three people watching him stared at him in shock.

"That's ...that's impossible," said Anders as his face went very pale.

"What does it mean?" asked Rogers "you said it was dormant?"

Jean looked at him then turned to Ensign Kadretti.

"Ensign, would you care to explain?"

The female ensign nodded. "It means you don't have an ability.

However an ancestor of yours may have had ability and...also that your descendants may have abilities."

She hesitated before continuing. "I know of a number of people who had the active mutant gene skip a generation and thus it manifests in the offspring."

"Excuse me but I still find this very hard to believe," interrupted Anders "why haven't our own doctors picked this up before?"

Jean looked at him. "May be they haven't because they didn't know what to look for.

On Earth the mutant genome was discovered in the early 1980s, some suspect it was discovered much earlier but was mis-labelled as an aberrant insignificant anomaly."

The doctor turned back to Helo. "Having the gene does not change who you are, you're still the same man before I did the scan. The only difference now is that you know a bit more about your genome."

"Captain," Helo turned to see a wry look on Roger's face. "if I may say so...welcome to the family."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Helo felt numb as he left the medical bay with the others.

Dr Grey had explained the rest of his medical but it had gone over his head because the only thing he could register was that he had the mutant gene.

After a while; she realized Dr Grey was no longer talking but giving him a knowing sad smile.

"Captain Agathon...you have a lot to think about.

Come see me when you have some questions, okay?"

He had nodded silently and stood up from the bio-bed.

Dr Grey at that point had turned to Ensign Kadretti and told her to take the colonials back to the research lab to see Laura and Q Junior.

Helo tried not to stumble over his feet as he followed the others outside, he was barely aware of Anders hanging back to speak to him.

"Karl, you alright?"

The captain turned his head at the urgent whisper from the Junior Lieutenant.

Anders looked very worried.

Helo shook his head and looked ahead to see that Rogers and Ensign Kadretti were walking ahead and talking.

"Yeah...it's just that...I'm finding this hard to believe."

Anders laughed a bit nervously. "Well...you're not shooting ray beams outta your eyes so I guess that's okay."

Helo tried to smile. "She did say my gene was dormant."

Anders' smile disappeared. "You do realize...that your daughter may have this gene ?"

Helo was silent for a long time as a wave of anxiety hit him.

"Anders, do me a favour and don't say anything to Sharon. I need to tell her myself."

The other pilot looked at the two ensigns in front of him.

"You don't have to worry about me bro."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Helo was still trying to think of what to say when they got to the research lab.

Then he saw two familiar figures in the middle of the lab and the thought of his gene disappeared immediately.

Two centurions stood in the middle of the lab facing Laura and Q Junior, they turned as the doors opened.

Helo found himself trying to draw his pistol which he had stupidly left in his viper.

Beside him Anders cursed and pushed Kadretti and Rogers behind him quickly as if to shield them.

"Hey,what do you think?"

The voice was Kara's but seemed to come from one of the centurions!

"What the f...?" began a very scared Anders.

"Relax," said Q Junior calmly as he stood on his toes to touch the right shoulder of one of the centurions, immediately the figure changed to show Kara Thrace.

The second centurion used it's left hand to touch it's right shoulder and it changed to show Sharon.

"If this is how you're reacting on seeing the holograms then it works beautifully," said Q Junior with a satisfied expression on his face.

"A little more warning next time may be sufficient," said Anders absently as he was trying not to gape at what his wife was wearing.

Helo and Rogers had a similar expression.

Sharon and Starbuck were wearing black figure-hugging body armour with neck guards, rein-forced gauntlets and greaves with thigh high combat boots.

The ensemble looked like something out of a sci-fi vid.

"What...is this for real?" asked Rogers in disbelief.

Oma was frowning. "I have seen this before."

Laura looked at her. "It's a modified 21st century x-man uniform."

The Starfleet ensign went still as her eyes grew wide with excitement. "We each get one right?"

Laura looked at her with some amusement. "I believe we do."

"Outstanding," said Oma with barely suppressed joy.

For some reason, that made Laura smile.

"Kara...is that Earth body armour?" asked Anders with a very dry mouth.

The colonial pilot did a little twirl. "I know, it looks like something out of a sci-fi vid right, but this baby is a lot tougher than it looks and it is so unbelievably light! You have got to try it!"

Anders was trying to keep his face straight because putting on the armour was the _last _thing on his mind.

The armour was very close fitting on Kara and seemed to enhance her feminine features.

He almost wanted to tell Rogers and Helo to stop looking at Kara, then a quick glance showed that Rogers had actually turned away to look at something else while Helo was still staring at Sharon.

"Captain Agathon, Junior Lieutenant Anders," they both turned to see Laura with a wry look on her face "your uniforms are also ready. Would you like to see them?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Jean walked silently down the corridor. It had been at least an hour since the colonials and Ensign Kadretti had left for the research lab.

By now they must be exploring the simulation that Laura had created.

Jean had checked with Xavier and to her relief the girl had put the safety protocols back on.

As for Q Junior, he was still hard at work on the body armour and weapons.

Jean felt a bit uneasy about providing weapons to the colonials but she saw the need.

She just did not have to like it.

Once again the thought of Laura , Oma and Q Junior going on this mission disturbed her a lot. They were just children for crying out loud.

But Jean knew to turn back now was not an option.

She just prayed they were successful and came back safe.

Within minutes she reached the bridge.

Her keen sense of smell picked up a mild trace of tobacco.

She sighed wearily as she looked at the culprit in the captain's chair.

"I swear if I find Laura smoking one of those things that I will make you wear your hair in pink bow ties for a _long time."_

Logan raised an eyebrow at the calmly delivered threat as Jean sat down beside him.

"Duly noted, I will be careful but I needed that smoke."

Jean leaned back. "You're just lucky your body repairs itself so fast, if not by now you would have the oh-so-wonderful symptoms of emphysema with lung cancer around the corner."

Logan narrowed his eyes as he noticed her tired expression. "Anyone in particular giving you grief?"

Jean was quiet for a long time.

"We need to discuss the results of the medical reviews I have done on the colonials."

Logan sat up straighter, now giving her his full undivided attention.

"Please continue."

Jean pulled out her epadd and handed it to him.

"Anders is definitely not your typical human."

Logan frowned at her.

"He's not a mutant either.

I compared his genetic structure to that of Sharon...it's not identical but there are startling similarities.

Sharon has cybernectic micro-components in her brain and specific parts of her spine. It makes up 2.8 percent of her biological structure.

As for Anders, he has the same components in the exact same places but they make up 10.3 percent of his biological structure."

Logan froze in his chair. "You're telling me he's more of a cyborg than she is?"

Jean sighed again. "Cyborg is not the tem I would use...but he had a lot more components. I do not know if it's because he's male or...just a different type of cylon altogether."

"What do you mean?"

Jean was silent for a while. "Logan...the Phoenix had a peek while I was doing the bio-scan.

He does not know he is a cylon...he believes firmly that he is a colonial officer first and second. I do feel he is not a threat to us."

Logan's eyes narrowed , he was not completely convinced. "Could he be extremely deep undercover?"

Jean was already shaking her head. "This...this is much worse. The Phoenix was a bit upset...she said it was as if some part of his memory is missing and he does not know about it...as if someone violently wiped his memory."

Logan's frown deepened. This sounded too close to what had happened to him.

Jean touched his right hand gently and that simple act calmed him down a lot.

"What do we do?"

Logan stared at the viewscreen for a long time.

"We say nothing until we get this stuff done, maybe we might find some answers on the basestar."

Jean nodded. "Oh one more thing...Helo has the mutant gene and it's dormant."

Logan raised both eyebrows. "It sure doesn't just rain does it?"

Jean laughed softly. "Isn't that how it is with us all the time ?"

Logan nodded but kept silent.

"So you keeping an eye on Laura and the gang?" asked Jean with a small smile.

The captain of the Xavier snorted. "You better believe it, she agreed to it surprisingly and after a few startled reactions the colonials are behaving themselves in the holodeck."

"That's a relief," said Jean.

Logan looked at her hand on his and turned his so that he could gently clasp her smaller hand.

Jean looked at their entwined fingers with a sad smile before turning back to the viewscreen.

Both mutants stayed silent as they simply held each other's hand and stared at the view-screen for just a few minutes longer.

The two former x-men knew that these few minutes of peace may be the last they would have for a long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

_**USS Dunkirk, the bridge...**_

Lieutenant Commander Shran checked the repaired sensors, 97 percent of them were back online and their long distance sub-space communication arrays had also been fully replicated.

"About bloody time," muttered Shran as he used an Earth swear word that he was quite fond of.

He had gone to the medical bay earlier in search of the captain because he had some disturbing news about the Tal-Shiar Solius.

Shran had arrived just in time to see the captain hurrying out of the medical bay, apparently an urgent message had arrived from Starfleet command.

The andorian had quickly checked on his injured colleagues before returning to the bridge.

To everyone's relief, Lieutenant Commander Atavi was out of coma and slowly improving but no one had informed her of the missing ensign.

The doctors were worried such news may worsen her already fragile state.

As for Commander Klaus, he was now lucid and demanding to be allowed to return to work but the medics were having none of it.

There were rumours that one of them had threatened him with sedation if he kept trying to climb out of his bio-bed.

Shran's combadge went off, he pressed it to answer.

'Shran here."

"_Lieutenant Commander, if you could please come to the ready room?"_

"Yes sir, will be there in a moment."

Shran turned from his console to see Commander Bishop also heading in the same direction.

It's most likely got something to do with the Romulans.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Both male officers nodded at each other as they walked to the captain's ready room.

They found him standing and facing the window.

He turned when they came in.

"Gentlemen, I received a high level communiqué from Admiral Hoshiru at Starfleet command," he paused " another Starfleet Galaxy class ship has been assigned to...assist us in the investigation."

The tactical officer and second in command shared a worried look; they could tell something about the message had upset their captain.

They did not have long to wait for the rest of the message.

"The ship is the USS Prometheus, it's captain is..."

"Brenia E'Kalez," said Shran in a hushed voice filled with both wonder and a bit of anxiety.

"The Archangel?" asked Bishop in surprise.

Singh frowned. "I see her reputation precedes her."

Shran stared at him. "Captain, the klingons _wrote _songs and poems about her. Very few Starfleet officers can claim that."

"Even the Cardassians had to give her a name," said Bishop with some sort of grim humour.

Singh nodded, apparently the men before him knew of the Xenadian IV retreat.

Xenadian IV had been a klingon agricultural outpost which had the misfortune of being in the part of a joint Cardassian-Jem'adar fleet in the first year of the war.

The Klingon Empire had been warned repeatedly that the 15,500 inhabitants of the small outpost were in danger.

But the Empire stalled in evacuating the inhabitants who had been mostly civilians, this was due to a combination of honour, pride and the firm belief of never backing down from a fight or yielding the field.

It had taken the combined effort of several senior Starfleet officers and Federation officials before the Klingon Empire finally agreed to accept aid in evacuating the inhabitants.

However at that point; it was almost too late.

The nearest ships had been 3 Starfleet star ships and 4 klingon warbirds.

This small group of Starfleet and Klingon warbirds tried to remove everyone but during the evacuation the Dominion fleet appeared.

In the end, several personnel from Starfleet ships and Klingon ships had beamed down while their ships were under fire to help protect the civilians as they fled.

But unfortunately, there was not enough room for everyone on the crammed Starfleet and Klingon ships.

So a certain Starfleet chief security officer had made the decision to stay behind with the mostly 200 able bodied civilian klingons who had sent their elderly and very young ahead of them.

That officer had been Brenia E'Kalez, a small army of Starfleet officers and klingon officers had also stayed back.

They had been 49 officers in number.

At first they had been disorganised because on landing the most senior klingon officer had been killed in an ambush, the casualties would have been higher if Brenia had not immediately taken command of the situation.

She combined the Starfleet and Klingon officers into a fighting unit, utilizing the 'abilities' of the mutant Starfleet officers to the fullest.

Then followed 4 weeks of almost constant guerrilla warfare upon the Dominion forces which numbered in their thousands but that did not stop Brenia and her force from wrecking untold havoc.

Starfleet cadets were taught not to depend solely on their physical abilities but to use their brains as well, however those with 'abilities' were advised to use them if one's back was to the wall.

And Brenia and the Starfleet officers with mutant abilities did so to the max.

The official reports had stated that the female mutant had led every guerrilla attack and used her teleporting and flight capability as a devastating weapon.

There were even rumours that when her phaser weapons lost power she made an old-fashioned mace and used it very effectively.

Maybe it was due to the fact that this resistance force was fighting to protect the civilians, however as the days passed; the civilians became a part of this guerrilla force.

And they made the Dominion pay for each metre of land with blood and death.

The klingons had given her a klingon title which loosely translated into 'Warrior Angel'.

Starfleet officers had called her 'the Archangel' in memory of one of Earth's fallen mutant heroes during the Eugenics War.

But the cardassians had nicknamed her the 'Angel of Death' in their language.

Brenia's lost people, officers and civilians, but nowhere close to the level of those on the opposing side.

Some of the surviving klingon officers had been heard to swear that for each fighter their leader lost, she made sure the enemy lost 30 to 40 fighters .

Commander Brenia's report did not claim such figures but other independent reports stated that the destruction she and her fighters were able to wreck on the enemy had boosted morale among the Starfleet and klingon fighters and improved relationships with some senior klingon officers and leaders.

By the time the USS Prometheus had returned with a bigger combined Starfleet and Klingon force to retake the small colony, Brenia had lost 19 officers and 37 civilians.

Captain Steinberg of the USS Prometheus had put her down for recommendations, while it was said several offers of marriage came from quite a number of klingon officers who had seen or heard of her prowess in battle.

Brenia had even been offered a captain's post soon after Xenadian IV, but she turned it down wishing to remain on the USS Prometheus.

Singh let his mind return to the present.

"Well gents, do you know who her second in command is? Commander Trey Kadretti."

Both male officers stared at him in shock.

"And yes he is related to Ensign Kadretti, he's her father."

Bishop barely held back a curse.

"Oh, it gets even better," said Singh with a bitter smile.

"It appears that in 2359, Commander Kadretti was an ensign stationed on a science vessel; the USS Petersberg.

This ship disappeared close to the Romulan Neutral border and was feared lost with all hands.

Then more than 5 months later, a single survivor was brought back to the Federation by a Klingon merchant ship.

His name was Trey Kadretti."

Shran felt more was coming and that he was not going to like it.

"Looking at his official records, whatever happened to him in those 5 months is heavily blanked out...however when I spoke to Starfleet Command a few minutes ago," he paused " they informed me that there were strong rumours that the Romulans had something to do with the disappearance of the USS Petersberg."

Bishop felt his lower jaw drop.

"He thinks the Romulans have her," said Shran faintly.

"This has just become personal," warned Singh "I feel Captain E'Kalez may be aware of what really happened to the Petersberg...she was one of Ensign Kadretti's references for getting into the academy."

Bishop had a troubled look on his face.

"Is...is it possible that the Romulans have Ensign Kadretti ?"

Singh was silent for a while. "I...I personally don't think so.

Once Mr Klaus appeared with the Tal Shiar on the bridge, I was the first to approach the romulan and his mental guards were completely down.

He turned to me and said... 'she sacrificed herself for us...she's a mutant.'

I felt utter shock and sadness from Mr Solius...I don't think he knew she was a mutant and besides from the reports only Ensign O'Reilly could have been fast enough to beam anyone out of the shuttle.

The romulans were too far away and the shuttle still had some kind of force-field around it before it went into the wormhole."

"She did remove the white tentacles that almost drew us in," said Bishop thoughfully.

"I know this is all speculation...however one good thing is that none of the warbirds have left the area.

If they had her ...surely one would have been halfway back to Romulus by now," added the andorian tactical officer.

Singh sighed loudly. "However we look at it...it's going to be one hell of a mess by the time the Prometheus gets here."

"Why would Command assign the Prometheus? Surely they must know her father will be on that ship and will not be objective in this investigation.

I know if it were me, I would not be reasonable!" protested Bishop.

Shran had an uncomfortable look on his face. "Sirs...I also found some info about Major Solius."

The two senior officers looked at him.

"There is a possibility that Major Solius is related to the Emperor of Romulus."

Singh suddenly looked a bit weary. " No wonder S'Tokkr was...listening to him a lot. If he had died on the Infinity..."

The captain did not have to say anything more.

The three officers had now realised how close they may have come to worsening the already strained relationships with Romulus.

"Mr Shran, I want our surveillance of their communications doubled and tripled if possible and also send a secure package to the USS Prometheus informing them of all that has happened here.

Mr Bishop keep hailing _all _ the Romulan Warbirds until one of them answers and keep asking for Major Solius."

"And if we get proof that they have Ensign Kadretti, what then sir?" asked Shran with worried look on his face.

Singh looked at him solemnly. "Then we get her back."

Both officers nodded with grim satisfaction and left the room.

The Starfleet commanding officer was still for a long time, he closed his eyes briefly as he said a short prayer then he straightened his impeccably neat top of his uniform and returned to the bridge.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

_**USS Prometheus, Astrophysic's lab...**_

It had been 2hours since they got the detailed report from USS Dunkirk and Nadia was finding it very hard to concentrate.

First she had attended one of the meetings with the captain, the second-in-command and the chief of security

The contents of the report would have had her excited normally but now it filled her with dread.

Her child may have disappeared into an evolving wormhole that could have led to anywhere.

The disappearance made her think of the USS Voyager that had been catapulted 75 light years to the Delta Quadrant.

It had taken that ship 7 years to return to the Alpha Quadrant and it had been through hard work, sacrifice and a lot of good luck.

Nadia was praying so hard that Oma was safe, she did not want to believe she had disappeared down a worm-hole but the alternative was much worse.

A prisoner of the Romulans was not a fate she would wish on her worst enemy.

"Nadia," the soft voice of Dr Julian Locke had her returning to the present.

"Julian...I..."

The Betazoid gave her a sad smile. "You're troubled and not focusing on what we have to do right now."

Nadia licked her dry lips. "I...I am okay. I just need to have a drink of coffee and I will be fine..."

Julian was already shaking his head. "You are this close," he put his thumb and second finger together " to collapsing."

"You need to rest, you have been without sleep for too many hours."

"I don't need sleep!" snapped Nadia.

Julian remained calm. "Yes you do! If you collapse, then Trey will have to worry about you as well as figure out a way to look for Oma.

Is that what you wish on him as well?!"

Nadia glared at her friend, then she sighed. "You always know the right thing to say don't you?"

Julian shrugged. "I'm a betazoid, remember?"

Nadia shook her head and walked towards a couch that was in the corner of the lab.

The betazoid frowned. "Wait...what are you doing? I meant for you to go to your quarters to rest!"

The female astro-physicist raised an eyebrow. "I am quite capable of getting rest right here, be happy with that...just don't get upset if I'm not able to sleep."

Julian sighed wearily then turned to go and noticed Nadia's epadd.

"Well if you need something to make you sleep, why don't you look at this?"

Nadia stopped as the betazoid walked up to her and gave her the epadd.

"Why?"

Julian tapped the top of the pad. "Let's see; that red blinking light says you have an urgent message..."

Nadia groaned and made to throw the pad away.

"Ah ah! Read the messages so that you can fall asleep , then when you wake up we can dissect the reports from the USS Dunkirk. Deal?"

The female scientist glared at Julian.

"Fine, deal," she agreed tiredly before lying down on the couch.

Nadia was tempted to put the pad down but began to scroll down the numerous messages and deleted most without reading.

At some point her eyes began to grown heavy but something kept her awake...as if she had to read one more message.

Then she saw a name which cleared the sleep from her eyes.

She sat up slowly as her heart pounded away in her chest.

Nadia re-read the name of the sender, the date and the time several times.

Julian heard a noise and turned to see the female scientist was on her feet. He was about to scold her when he saw the extremely pale frightened look on her face. It was as if she had seen a ghost.

Julian had known Nadia for years and he had never seen her look scared.

"Nadia, what is it?" he asked in an anxious tone.

Eyes filled with tears looked at him and she answered in a voice filled with disbelief and fragile hope.

"It's...it's a message...from Oma."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

**Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait, flu and stress has not been kind to moi!**

**By the by, I made the weapons of the colonials S49s and used the Belgian FNP90 and the FN Five- Seven as from Earth only ( 21st century earth).**

**Thank God for wikipedia ! Without it I have no idea how I could have got all the details.**

**I listened to Assassin's Creed 3 OST and Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation OST when I got better enough to write.**

**Wish me luck in the next chapter as Logan does what he does best! Which is not always nice!**

**Have a great weekend people! Please read and enjoy!**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 of the Phoenix and the Wolverine.

_**IKS Y'tem**_

Lieutenant Commander Mirta walked down the corridor. She acknowledged greetings from other crew members silently.

At the moment, they were on high alert status. Most repairs had been completed and the injured were doing well.

Since the wormhole disappeared they had been monitoring the 12 Romulan war-birds and also keeping an eye on the three Starfleet ships.

Mirta trusted the Starfleet officers she had met but she knew they would not reveal everything to the crew of the IKS Y'tem.

The female klingon officer soon reached the quarters of Captain Karath. She hesitated briefly before tapping on his door.

There was silence for a few moments before a calm male voice answered.

Mirta hid her relief before entering, the nature of his voice meant that he was finally sober.

When the Infinity shuttle had been dragged into the wormhole, Mirta had been certain the female Starfleet ensign was surely dead.

However before she left the bridge of the Dunkirk, she had heard Singh list her as MIA.

The science officer was finding it hard to believe anyone could survive such a tumultuous trip through a very unstable wormhole.

Captain Karath had taken the disappearance of the girl hard, to Mirta's surprise he had got roaring drunk once she informed him.

She had seen him rise through the ranks rapidly for acts of reckless bravery during the Dominion War, she and a few others of the current crew were the surviving members of the original crew of the IKS Y'tem.

But never had she seen him react to the death of someone like this.

Someone who had not been part of the crew; most knew of his interest in the female Starfleet officer. Very few expressed their 'uneasiness' at such an interest while the majority were of the opinion that as long as the girl had one drop of klingon blood, that made her a daughter of Kahless as the rest of them.

There was no denying that the scarred young male officer was depressed and grieving at the death of Ensign Kadretti.

Mirta who was also second in command had quietly taken over the running of the ship for a short time but she had made it seem as if she was getting orders directly from Karath.

She did not want anyone to challenge the captain especially while he was still drunk. He treated the crew well and she was in definitely not ready to break in a new captain.

Mirta took a deep breath and entered the captain's quarters.

To her surprise it was tidy; in her experience when klingons grieved a lot of things got broken; then she noticed a few things were missing.

Certain sculptures; apparently he had broken some objects but had tidied the place anyway.

"Report," said Karath gruffly. He was standing in the middle of the room in his full military uniform. His hair was a bit untidy but his eyes were clear and definitely sober.

"Captain Singh has just sent us a message...another Galaxy class Starfleet vessel will be joining them. It's known as the USS Prometheus."

Karath frowned thoughtfully. "I know that name..."

"It's the ship that assisted in the Xenadian IV rescue of 2376; it's captain is..."

"The Warrior Angel...Brenia E'kalez," said Karath in surprise.

"There's more." Karath looked at Mirta.

"Her second in command is Commander Trey Kadretti."

Karath narrowed his eyes in speculation. "A relation perhaps?" It was not exactly a question.

Mirta sighed. "Possibly; he would be the right age to be her father."

There was silence.

"Starfleet knows something...and it must involve the Romulans," he noticed a worried look on his science officer's face. "Is there something else troubling you?"

Mirta hesitated noticeably before replying.

"When Mr Klaus teleported to the bridge with the Tal Shiar; the captain spoke to the romulan. I heard a few words and I'm not entirely sure but..."

"But what?" asked Karath patiently.

"I think the Tal Shiar said Ensign Kadretti...is a mutant."

Karath stared at her in shock. "That is impossible."

Mirta held up a hand. "Not really sir, rare of course. It is known that Admiral Spock is a mutant."

"There has never been a record of a mutant human-klingon hybrid!" insisted Karath.

Mirta shrugged. "If you don't mind me saying captain; we don't know enough about the humans and their abilities. It was not that long ago that the Empire agreed to an alliance with them."

Karath compressed his lips in a thoughtful frown. "Do you know what this means ? She could still be alive."

Mirta closed her eyes briefly in a moment of despair.

"Captain," she began carefully "that anomaly almost dragged 4 starships into it and tore parts of the Dunkirk to shreds. The probability of her surviving a trip through that wormhole is very low."

Karath looked at her with a determined light in his eyes. "But not impossible.

Mirta hail the Dunkirk; I would very much like to meet Ensign Kadretti's kin when they arrive and keep an eye on the Romulans.

They did not send additional ships to the border for no reason."

Mirta felt a bit glad at his new found determination but was also quite worried at the reason for his drive.

She would hate for his hopes to be crushed when he finally realized that the Starfleet ensign was really dead.

Mirta found herself hoping for the sake of his sanity that the girl was still alive.

_**Romulan Warbird, Vigilance, personnel quarters...**_

Major Nveid Solius was reading through the reports when his desk com bleeped. He frowned as he looked at the blinking light on the com-desk.

He wondered who it could be; he really did not want to be disturbed because the last few hours had been very stressful.

Once he teleported over to the Vigilance he had sent a report to the Romulan Empire and the Tal Shiar organization.

He had received two replies almost instantly.

The Emperor instructed him to cease communications with Starfleet and to await 6 more warbirds.

Six more?

For what?!

Then the Tal Shiar complicated matters by ordering him to take S'Tokkr into custody for endangering his life.

Well that had not been necessary because as soon as the Tal Shiar Colonel realized Solius was alive, he immediately went to his quarters and committed suicide.

That had really pissed Solius off, he had so wanted to arrest the idiot but he had not been planning on killing him!

Maybe his death was a good thing, but Solius immediately reversed his thinking when S'Tokkr's replacement showed up.

Her name was Nalah T'Mas, her rank was Major and he had no idea who she was.

Absolutely perfect thought Solius acidly.

He was yet to meet her for he had ordered her to remain on the Decius until he sent for her.

Poor Captain Maelrok had been absolutely terrified when he informed her that a female Tal Shiar would be joining her crew.

Solius hoped the new Tal Shiar was not giving Maelrok more problems; if that was the case he was definitely sending her back to Romulus, his superiors be damned!

He did not agree with the command that stated they should not communicate with the Federation. It made them look guilty...of something.

But what was the reason for such a passive-aggressive approach?

Solius personal opinion was that some big-wig- idiotic-poor-excuse-for-an adviser in the Emperor's court had suggested this tactic.

And now to add to the already frantic situation another Galaxy class ship was approaching the Neutral Zone !

The Tal Shiar Major rubbed his forehead to ease the migraine that was about to start. He took a deep breath before answering the com.

"What is it?" he tried to say in a neutral voice.

"Sir, there is a vid-call from the Emperor's court," said the slightly nervous officer on the other end.

Solius closed his eyes briefly. Now what?

"Fine, patch it through."

Solius turned to vid-screen and waited to see which pompous in-experienced official had taken it upon himself to give him more 'advice'.

A familiar face appeared on the screen and Solius failed to show his surprise.

"Hello cousin, how are things on your end?"

Solius quickly composed himself as the person watching smiled broadly.

"Your majesty...I did not expect a personal call."

Emperor D'Terr Tal Aura shrugged.

"It's not often that the ruling leader of our Empire has a relative so highly placed in the Tal-Shiar. It would be careless of me not to check up on him personally."

Solius felt his face heat up. "You honour me sire."

D'Terr waved away his thanks. "Oh please; it is you who honour me with your service. Now back to business.

What is going on?"

Solius answered carefully. "There has been no re-emergence of the anomaly, surveillance has shown that repairs have been completed on the Starfleet vessels and on the IKS Y'tem.

However I got a message from the USS Dunkirk that another Galaxy class vessel will be joining them."

The Emperor of Romulus frowned. "Why are they sending another ship? There is no need."

Solius looked at him. "Maybe the presence of the additional 6 warbirds is the reason for their superiors sending this ship."

D'Terr smiled dryly. "So one federation ship is the equivalent of 6 warbirds ? Now that's a statement."

"I doubt they mean to escalate the situation sire," said Solius hastily "perhaps they are also concerned about another anomaly emerging. However our...reluctance to communicate is not improving matters."

D'Terr raised an eyebrow. "Never thought I would see the day a Tal Shiar defended the Federation but I guess wonders would never cease."

Solius wisely kept silent, any further protests would make him look guilty, no one would ever accuse the current emperor of being stupid.

"Or maybe the Tal Shiar have another agenda in place and do not wish to antagonize the Federation just yet."

Solius felt like clapping. Yes; his cousin was definitely very smart.

"There are certain aspects of the Tal Shiar that I cannot discuss sire," said Solius calmly.

D'Terr smiled easily. " I would have been worried if it had been otherwise.

Which ship is coming?"

Solius hid his relief at the change of topic.

"It's the USS Prometheus."

He saw the emperor go still, surely his royal highness did not know of the...?

"The Archangel's ship? Starfleet sent her?!"

Solius raised an eyebrow at the surprise in the Emperor's voice and the fact that his majesty knew of the captain's reputation.

Apparently it wasn't only the Tal Shiar who tried to keep dossiers on all Starfleet captains. He wondered how detailed the Emperor's personal files were.

"It appears so your majesty," he hesitated briefly before continuing "Captain E'Kalez second in command is Commander Trey Kadretti."

D'Terr frowned. "I have heard that surname before."

"Kadretti was the name of the ensign who disappeared into the anomaly before it too collapsed into itself."

D'Terr stared at him. "Is this Commander Kadretti a relative then?"

Solius shrugged. "I doubt it, though I find it hard to believe that Starfleet would assign a relative to such an investigation. A relative would not be objective or logical."

D'Terr nodded. "Never underestimate the thought patterns of humans...they tend to follow very illogical routes."

Solius nodded, humans were very unpredictable as he had seen during the war.

He had witnessed Starfleet officers sacrificing themselves just to save one life that if lost would have no impact on the universe.

It was both admirable and terrifying at what lengths they will go to protect others.

"Captain E'Kalez is human-hybrid is she not? And also a mutant ?"

Solius blinked for a few moments, he was a bit stunned at what the emperor had just asked him.

"She has been asked that directly but each time she has stated both parents are human and mutant."

D'Terr frowned thoughtfully. "Could she be lying? It is quite obvious that mutant human-hybrids are very rare.

Having one to study could be rewarding."

Solius hid the panic the emperor's words caused and answered carefully.

"She is the renowned and decorated captain of a well known ship; having a senior officer disappear this close to the border is sure to cause a lot of problems.

It is widely known that even certain senior klingon officers have proclaimed they owe her a debt of honour for her acts of bravery on Xenadian IV.

If you order us to abduct her; I suggest you get ready for the Klingons and the Federation to declare war on the Empire."

There was deadly silence as the Emperor of Romulus stared back at an obviously upset Tal Shiar.

Great; I have just committed political suicide, thought Solius with resigned acceptance.

Then D'Terr smiled broadly.

"Do you know why I watch out for you Solius?

Because ever since we were little, you never ceased to tell me what you _really _thought of my ideas.

And you do so while not disrespecting my position; it's a pity and also fortunate at the same time that you are Tal Shiar.

You would have been wasted as a court official...if someone hadn't eliminated you already."

Solius sighed with part relief and part frustration. "Sire, I'm telling you the truth. Going after E'kalez...will not be worth it."

D'Terr was silent for several moments, then he sighed. "Oh, I guess you're right...maybe you will come across another mutant human-hybrid they won't miss," then the emperor stared at him intensely "or have you already come across one?"

Solius saw Ensign Kadretti's face flash before him as he answered. "No sire, I haven't had the fortune of meeting such a person."

D'Terr frowned for a moment; then his face cleared. "Well, I guess we can't have everything," he paused "I heard of what happened to Colonel S'Tokkr, a shame we did not get to question him on _some _ of his actions."

Solius took one look at the dark light in the Emperor's eyes and suddenly thought maybe S'Tokkr had actually been smart in taking his own life.

"What of the officer who teleported you to the USS Dunkirk? Is he well ?" continued the leader of the Romulan Empire.

Solius watched the emperor warily as he answered. "Before I left he appeared to be recovering you majesty."

D'Terr nodded. "Very useful ability he has, are we sure he will not be a threat to us?"

Solius shook his head. "The reports we have state most teleporters need to 'see' a location once before they can teleport there. He has not been on any of our warbirds."

D'Terr had an amused look on his face. "Once again, you use the facts to logically explain how safe my ships are. You could pass for a Vulcan if only you controlled your emotions."

Solius found himself smiling back at his cousin. "I take that as a compliment sire."

D'Terr's smile slipped a little, obviously he had not expected such a response.

"Anyway, this discussion was very helpful...I look forward to more updates soon," said the Emperor calmly "until then do what you feel is right."

"Does that include communicating with the Federation?"

D'Terr watched him for a while. "Why; if that is necessary I see no harm in doing that. I hope that helps." The screen then went dark.

Solius was still for a long time; before he finally released the sigh of relief; he did not know why he did not mention the fact that Ensign Kadretti was a mutant. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she was most likely dead.

Solius saw no point in talking about the dead ensign however he knew others would see differently. Some would reason that since she was a mutant human hybrid then her _family _ would be of extreme interest.

Maybe some part of their gene pool was the trigger that ensured the active mutant gene was passed unto hybrids.

Besides he did owe her his life; saying nothing was the least he could do for her family.

Solius' mind turned to the next thing that was worrying him.

The leader of Romulus.

Emperor D'Terr Tal'Aura was a very intelligent romulan and the Tal Shiar were well aware of that fact.

Which was why most of them treated him with extreme caution; however Solius was also alert to the fact that most of the Tal Shiar extended that caution to him as well.

It should have made him feel proud but instead it made him very careful.

Emperors can have very short reigns as well as long reigns but the Tal Shiar had a _long _memory.

Solius forced his mind to return to the present; it was high time he spoke to Nalah T'mas.

And also it was time he answered Captain Singh's hails. He had a funny feeling that the captain was not going to be happy with him.

_**USS Prometheus, captain's quarters...**_

Brenia stretched her wings then folded them gently.

By the stars she was tired. It had been a long day.

She and her senior officers had gone over the detailed reports from the USS Dunkirk.

A wormhole on the Neutral Romulan Border ?

Part of her was glad it had collapsed in itself but the other part of her was sad because that meant Oma was lost to them forever.

Brenia wondered how her 2nd in command was taking it, he and Nadia must be going through hell.

The captain of the USS Prometheus sighed wearily and brushed her black hair slowly, then she changed into her sleeping garments and climbed into her specially modified bed.

She knew it was going to be hard to sleep but she had to have some rest or else the law of diminishing returns would catch up with her.

Brenia had barely shut her eyes when the com-badge beside her bed bleeped

She opened her eyes and stared at the device.

Trey was on the bridge; no alerts had been sounded but he would not wake her unless something was really wrong.

She picked up the combadge and tapped it once.

"Captain to Mr Kadretti, what is it?"

Trey was quick to answer. "Captain, I'm sorry to wake you but...you need to come down to the astrophysics lab now."

Something in his voice which seemed like part anxiety and...hope made Brenia sit up.

"What's going on?"

"It's Oma...she sent a message after she entered the wormhole!"

Brenia stared at the badge in shock for so long that Trey had to call her name again.

"I...I heard you. I'm on my way," replied Brenia hastily as she quickly got out of bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Brenia walked briskly down the corridor and absently acknowledged the greetings from fellow crew members.

Several questions ran through her mind.

When exactly was the message sent? Where was Oma?

Could it really be from her?

And also, what was in the message that had Trey very anxious?

Brenia was no closer to the answers when she entered the lab.

She was a bit stunned to see Brian was already there with Trey.

Julian and Nadia looked up from a large monitor which was already showing Oma's face.

Nadia started speaking; her voice was slightly high pitched and her words were hurried as if she could hardly believe what she was saying.

"I...I checked the time of when the message was sent. It was yesterday...at 1939hrs ship's time," Nadia turned to Brian who quickly spoke.

"Captain, at that exact time yesterday, we were in the Mhonir regions retrieving Commander Kadretti and Dr Kadretti."

Brenia's eyes widened. "You mean, we had this message the entire time?!"

"She sent it to our personal mail," said Trey in a worried tone "why didn't she send it to the Dunkirk?"

Brenia was wondering the same thing until she recalled something important.

"Because she couldn't reach them."

Everyone stared at her in surprise.

"When I got the first message from Captain Singh, he was sending it through the USS Zeus. From the report we got later, the anomaly damaged the long distance communications array of the Dunkirk.

Oma must have only the codes for her ship and also the codes for accessing your message boxes."

Nadia sighed with relief. "Smart, girl."

"But what's in her message?" asked Brenia. Trey looked at her solemnly.

"We started it...but once we heard a little we had to wake you up captain."

Brenia was worried about the expression on their faces.

"Please, play it Mr Kadretti."

Trey nodded and pressed a symbol on the com-desk.

There was utter silence as the vid began to play.

Oma was in her smart red and black ensign Starfleet uniform, she looked well but clearly nervous.

"_Mum, dad...it's me Oma. By now you must be in the Mhonir regions._

_Anyway...by now you may have heard I got pulled into an anomaly...well that's true but I'm not dead. _

_Currently I am on board the USS...wait ...I mean the Xavier."_

Brenia frowned at that name and saw the same expression on the faces of the people watching.

"_It's built along the lines of a Defiant class ship and is currently at the following co-ordinates."_

Everyone was silent as she rattled off a series of numbers; Brenia was hoping Brian was paying attention. She glanced at her security chief and was relieved to see he was using his epadd to take notes.

"_The captain is Logan Howlett and he is also known as Wolverine...I know this is going to be very hard to believe...but he is _The_ Wolverine of the Xmen._

_The Wolverine that disappeared from the battle of Alcatrez on the 11__th__ of October 2006; with him is also Dr Jean Grey...formerly of the Xmen._

_I'm sure by now you're asking how is it possible that they are here."_

Everyone was paying attention and did not miss the irritated look Oma gave to someone off screen.

"_It's due to him...Ensign Q Junior...he states that he used to be a Q...but is now an Emergency Medical and Engineering Hologram...EMEH for short."_

Brenia was more than a little startled when another person popped into place behind Oma. He looked like a human male teenager, possibly around 15 years of age with dark brown slightly curly hair.

The female ensign was not scared but appeared to be very angry at him.

"_Em hi...I am Ensign Q Junior, the same one whose godmother is Rear Admiral Janeway..."_he seemed to go red as Oma openly glared at him.

"_N...not that I'm trying to use that to get any favours but just so that you tell her what's going on...because we may have a huge problem. I'll just let the captain take over from this point."_

The one known as Q Junior turned the screen to face two people.

One was a slim woman in her mid twenties, dressed in slacks and a shirt with a white ward coat over it, beside was a 5feet 9 inch tall stockily built man.

Brenia concentrated on him, because he looked at the screen with a suspicious expression on his face , his dark hair was oddly shaped and something told her she should recognise him.

What she did recognise was the fact that he also seemed to stand like a fighter.

This man was not to be taken lightly.

"_My name's Logan and what the kid says is true._

_What I can recall is that more than 4 weeks ago I was in a battle at the Alcatrez Institute in October 2006...the next thing I knew I was more than 300 years in the future and in a spaceship millions of miles away from Earth._

_With me is Dr Jean Grey."_

He looked at the woman beside him who nodded solemnly at the screen.

"_Also with us...is my daughter Laura Kinney. She's 13 years old."_

Logan paused as if he had no idea what to say next.

"_Q's right...we do have a problem._

_A few days ago we ran into a human refugee fleet. They number less than 42,000 which is a huge drop from a population of more than 20 billion humans living on 12 planets known as the 12 Colonies of Kobol."_

Brenia felt her lower jaw drop, what had happened to those people?

"_The summary of the story is that the artificial life-form they created turned against them and nuked their 12 planets from orbit. Their AIs or cyborgs are called cylons._

_This happened 2years ago and since then the refugees have been on the run._

_To further complicate matters...the refugees _and _the cylons are searching for Earth which they believe to be the 13__th__ Colony of Kobol."_

"What?" muttered Julian in shock.

The man called Logan smiled dryly.

"_I bet you're as stunned as we were; however the refugee fleet has a form of FTL which enables them to fold space and time. Q Junior will explain later when we have more time._

_Their ships are powered by Tylium and their weapons are kinetic based and they have quite a number of nukes to hand."_

Brenia raised an eyebrow, nuclear weapons and guns? With a form of FTL as well? She wondered how the Xavier's first contact had gone.

"_However the other matter is that we suspect the cylons are looking for Earth so as to destroy it as well."_

One could hear a pin drop at that announcement.

"_The good news is that neither the colonials nor the cylons know where Earth is._

_However we're currently working with the colonials in-order to bring them to a safe haven within Federation space._

_Negotiations have not been easy due to the fact that they are very uneasy that we have an AI and that Q Junior is an obviously sentient mobile hologram._

_Also they may be quite xenophobic and paranoid of all things different._

_The bad news is that the cylons are somehow tracking the colonial fleet._

_So at the moment we are on a recon mission to cylon occupied space to find out their defensive and offensive capabilities as well as find out how they keep finding the colonial fleet. We have 5 colonials on board who are assisting us in this...one of them is also a humanoid cylon. She switched sides for personal reasons."_

The crew of the Prometheus gave each other worrying looks as Logan took a deep breath and stared at the screen.

"_Currently; we are more than 4 months from Federation space._

_We would appreciate it if you guys got your ships together and tried to reach us as soon as possible. These people need help,"_ he turned to look at Q Junior and Oma.

"_And from what Junior has told me...you guys are a lot different from the military of the former USA. I sure hope you guys have your priorities right and get your behinds in gear_

_One more thing...now that we're getting closer to cylon controlled space; we will maintain radio silence until we achieve our objective. I cannot give you a time frame so we'll call you when we can."_

He looked at Q Junior._ "Anything else you would like to add junior ?"_

The screen was turned back to show Q Junior standing beside Oma.

"_Thank you captain...em...yeah, there is a bit more I would like to say._

_First of all, the cylons are in no way similar to the Borg."_

"That's a relief," muttered Julian.

"_Second; I had nothing to do with the wormhole and I have no idea what caused it."_

Brenia and Trey shared a surprised look; both of them were thinking he sounded a bit guilty.

"_And last but certainly not least; please inform Rear Admiral Kathryn Janeway that I will definitely give her more roses than I did last time...that may convince her that you _really _spoke to me."_

He looked a bit uncertain as if searching for more things to say.

"_That's me done then...I'll turn you over to Ensign Kadretti."_

Oma moved into view of the screen.

"_Mum, dad...that's how things stand at the moment. I am really okay but we are pretty far from home."_

She hesitated as if unsure how to end the message.

"_Please tell the crew of the Dunkirk that I made it...Qapla' and Godspeed." _Then the screen went dark before the insignia of the Federation appeared.

Brenia saw Trey and Nadia tense at the last few words.

There was silence for several moments as everyone tried to understand what they had just seen.

"She's alive," said Nadia finally "but she is not sure she is safe."

Brenia was concerned to see Trey nodding as well.

"Maybe," said Julian with a frown on his face "it's a shame that this was not a live feed as I could have 'felt' more from her voice but 'reading' her body language...she does not seem that scared; more like...intrigued and amazed with where she is," the betazoid shrugged " she also seems quite irritated at Ensign Q Junior."

"I didn't get those feelings from her words at all," said Nadia curtly.

Julian looked a bit hurt at Nadia's tone.

"Were her last words some type of code?" asked Brian with a look of worry on his face.

Trey sighed. "Well...sort of. Long ago we came up with a few code phrases. If she ever ended a message with the following 'safe journey' then she was definitely in trouble.

But using the words 'Godspeed' means she wants us to get there quickly."

"This changes thing..." began Nadia in earnest.

"Not really," said Brenia to everyone's surprise.

"We still have to go to the Neutral Zone..."

"But she just said she isn't there!" protested Nadia.

Brenia did not back down from the astrophysicist glare. "I know...but that is where she disappeared from and there is so much we don't know.

Besides we have to inform the Dunkirk and also Starfleet about this."

"You intend to get in touch with Admiral Janeway? That may not be easy," said Julian.

"Nadia," called Trey softly; he was watching his wife closely and could see she was about to explode "the captain is right; going to those co-ordinates is going to take months and we can't do it alone.

Also what if the wormhole re-emerges?"

The angry look on Nadia's face changed to one of hope. "You think that is a possibility?"

Trey shook his head. "Nothing is certain in this life Nadia."

"Captain and Commander," called Brian, his voice was very solemn "I just found something about the Xavier."

Brenia stared at him in shock. "It exists?"

The security chief nodded. "The Xavier is definitely a 'Defiant' class ship.

Date of completion is listed as 7 months 2weeks 3 days 4hours and 15 minutes ago.

Location of construction is deemed classified.

Crew is from one to fifty, highest warp speed is 9.64 and the ship has the full armament and defence capabilities of a 'Defiant' class ship."

Brian paused as if he could not believe what he was reading.

"It is also stated that it was built by the Q.J branch of the Q Corporation."

He looked at his seniors. "I don't know about the rest of you...but this sounds like the handiwork of a Q."

Trey held up a hand. "Wait a minute, where did you get that info?"

"From the Starfleet Ship Data base, every ship built has to be registered according to law."

"Are you saying that info was registered all this time and no one has picked up on that...oddity?" asked Brenia.

Brian nodded. "It appears so and that may be because it's listed under the Special Intelligence Research Division."

Everyone knew what he meant.

Starfleet Intelligence was both very secretive and controversial.

Hardly anyone would want to probe too deeply in what that branch of Starfleet did.

"Talk about hiding in plain sight...sort of," said Nadia with some approval in her voice.

"Also I cross referenced the names Logan Howlett aka Wolverine and Dr Jean Grey...right now I don't have enough data; I need to dig a little deeper.

There was so much history we lost due to the Eugenics and Third World Wars," continued Brian.

"I may have some old books and articles that may help," everyone looked at Trey "I searched and collected as much material as I could about the persecution of mutants in the early 21st century.

Most of the information I found was recollections and biographies of surviving students from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. This school was located in New York of the former United States of America."

Brenia raised an eyebrow. "And the ship Oma is on is called the '_**Xavier'**_.

There are too many coincidences," she paused for a moment, then nodded as if she had decided something "combine your knowledge, in the meantime...I will try to get in contact with Captain Singh and Rear Admiral Janeway while we continue towards the Neutral Border."

"Should we not try to contact Oma now?" asked Nadia with worry in her eyes.

Brenia looked at Brian for an answer.

"I'm afraid that will not be possible; her message did not contain a reply code.

Another factor we need to be aware of is that they may have left those co-ordinates so transmitting a message blind will not reach them."

Brian paused "then again they said they were on a recon mission into cylon controlled space.

Sending them a message during their mission may actually endanger them."

Nadia stared at the security officer for a long time then nodded.

"I understand."

Brenia hid her sigh of relief. "Fine; Julian and Nadia please study the co-ordinates Ensign Kadretti sent us. We need to know exactly where they were.

Mr Demarce , please contact Mr Kadretti or me when you get more data on the crew of the Xavier." She looked at each of them.

"We have less than 5 hours before we reach the Neutral Zone; so we need to work very fast to get the information we need," Brenia hesitated briefly before continuing "Oma's safety may depend on it."

Everyone had a determined look on their faces as they nodded at the same time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

_**Captain's ready room...**_

Brenia hurried into the room and moved to the large viewing screen mounted on the wall. She was too on edge to sit to make this call.

She had decided on her way to the ready room that she would call the Rear Admiral first.

Because due to the lateness of the hour; it might take longer to get Rear Admiral Janeway but her instinct told her this was the right thing to do.

Brenia kept her wings tightly furled as she quickly pressed the selected symbols on the touch screen; it took several moments before she was able to reach headquarters.

Then she had to verify her identity and high level security clearance before she was given the location of a certain female Rear Admiral.

Brenia was partly impressed and annoyed by the protocol she had to go through.

While she appreciated the extra effort Starfleet was making to make their leaders safe; it also meant valuable time could be wasted while she was trying to reach just one of them.

Though she saw the reason for the heightened security she could not help but tap her right foot impatiently as she waited for the next transmission to connect.

Too Brenia's surprise, mere minutes passed before she saw the familiar yellow Starfleet security uniform of a Bajoran Starfleet Lieutenant.

"This is Captain E'Kalez of the Prometheus; I have a high priority message for Admiral Janeway."

The male bajoran looked a bit startled. "Captain E'Kalez...I am Lieutenant Winn Pazrel. I am afraid the Rear Admiral is not available at the moment..."

"Lieutenant," cut in Brenia gently but firmly "I know it's 3am local time but I would not be calling if this was not urgent.

Please inform her that I have a _very _urgent message from her god-son who is called Q Junior. I will take full responsibility for any trouble this call may cause."

The Lieutenant stared at her for several moments with a slight frown on his face.

"Captain...please wait a moment."

The screen changed to the Starfleet Insignia as Brenia whispered a short grateful prayer. She just hoped the Rear Admiral was in the mood to listen after being woken up at 3am.

Brenia took to pacing for the next 2 minutes then suddenly the screen cleared to show a woman with shoulder length dark auburn hair and piercing blue eyes.

She seemed to be wearing what appeared to be a silk housecoat over a nightgown and also had a frown on her face.

Oh boy; I just pissed off a Rear Admiral thought Brenia with no small level of alarm.

She had never met the woman but she had definitely heard of her.

When the USS Voyager returned in 2378 after been declared missing for seven years; it had raised a lot of questions.

How had they survived on their own in the Delta Quadrant ? How had the then Captain Janeway been able to integrate the Marquis and her own crew?

How had she kept most of her crew alive and sane during those seven years?

How had she got the Borg transwarp-corridor tech to return to the Alpha Quadrant ?

All this questions had been answered by Janeway and her crew; of course most of it would be Level 5 information but most agreed that the female commanding officer and her crew deserved every promotion and recommendation for surviving those seven years.

Brenia forced her mind to return to the matter at hand as she realized the frown on the Rear Admiral's face was deepening.

"Captain E'Kalez; I presume you had a message from someone?" her voice was calm with just the right amount of edge that automatically made Brenia assume parade rest stance.

"Rear Admiral; I apologize for waking you but I just received a message from...a person who states his name is Q Junior...also he stated I should inform you that he will give you more roses next time."

Silence passed as the stern look on Janeway's face changed to one to shock.

"I...did not include that in the report," said the Rear Admiral half to herself then she really looked at Brenia. "Is he with you now?" she sounded concerned.

The captain of the Prometheus tried to hide her relief; the admiral was actually listening to her.

"No ma'am...I need to start from the beginning. Considering your security clearance...you may already know some of what I am about to tell you."

Janeway's eyes narrowed. "Go on."

Brenia took a deep breath. "A few days ago the Romulans discovered an anomaly at the Neutral border...an evolving wormhole.

Yesterday at 1340hrs; a shuttle from the USS Dunkirk was investigating the anomaly up close when they were suddenly drawn towards it.

Most of the crew of that shuttle were evacuated except for one person..."

"Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti," completed Janeway "yes; I have read the report, she was still in the shuttle when it entered the wormhole before the anomaly collapsed."

Brenia suddenly felt encouraged. "Yes; however we received a message at 1939hrs ships time from Ensign Kadretti.

The point of transmission is more than 450 light years from our current position in an unexplored part of the Alpha Quadrant.

She survived the passage, ma'am."

Janeway's eyes widened. "That's...that's impossible. The reports stated the wormhole was very unstable and that even though she had used her 'ability' to shield the shuttle; there is no way she could have survived the transit."

Brenia hid a wince at the fact that Oma's ability now seemed to be common knowledge.

The Rear Admiral gave her an odd look. "You're worried about her ability being known...I assume you knew about her talent before she joined Starfleet."

Brenia gave the woman a resigned look. It appeared the rumours were true; Rear Admiral Janeway was an empath.

There was no rule that stated Starfleet cadets had to state if they had abilities or not. Even on the form that option was absent.

However at the end of the form; candidates were advised to state 'factors' that could either enhance or affect their training. This section was to be filled at the cadet's discretion.

One of the reasons for such a generalized form was because Starfleet training was open to all members of the Federation and also to some non-Federation worlds.

Another reason was the ugly history of the 'Mutant Registration Act' which lasted from 2003 to 2022 when it was finally thrown out of the US congress.

That history was taught in its fullest in Earth and it's colonies.

And for a good reason; for those who forgot history were doomed to repeat it.

"Yes Admiral; I knew about her ability."

Brenia knew why the Admiral was curious; mutant human-hybrids were very rare and were in no way persecuted if they lived on human colonies.

Janeway stared at her for a few moments; no doubt wondering why a human-hybrid would hide such an ability.

"I see...so Ensign Kadretti is alive. Why did she send the message to you and not the Dunkirk ?

And also what does Q Junior have to do with this?"

Brenia continued, while being puzzled and grateful at the same time that the Rear Admiral did not ask her more about Oma's mutant ability.

"I believe that at the time she sent it; the long distance communication array of the Dunkirk was still being repaired so she sent it to her parents...who are currently serving on board my ship.

Her father, Commander Trey Kadretti is my second in command."

She paused when she realized the Rear Admiral was giving her a very odd look. Brenia waited for the inevitable question about how inappropriate it was to have a senior officer investigating the disappearance of his daughter.

"And what about Q Junior?" continued the Rear Admiral to the captain's surprise.

Brenia was quick to answer. "Ensign Kadretti is currently on a ship called the Xavier, the vid message also showed a young human male teenager...he said he is a Q or was a Q and has now being changed into a hologram."

Janeway's lower jaw dropped. "What?"

The captain was not yet done. "With him are three humans...who may be mutants but he claims he took them from October the 11th 2006.

Their names are Logan Howlett a.k.a Wolverine, Dr Jean Grey and Laura who is Logan's daughter," Brenia paused unsure how to deliver the rest of the news "Q Junior stated they were members of the legendary X-men."

Rear Admiral Janeway looked a bit pale. Brenia did not blame her she bet once she had a chance to absorb all that she had seen recently she might feel ill as well.

"Is there more?" asked the Rear Admiral but it sounded like she was hoping that Brenia had finished.

"Yes ma'am; there is more...a whole lot more."

Janeway stared at her for a moment then straightened her shoulders.

"Continue captain."

Brenia compiled and told the Rear Admiral about the refugee colonial fleet; the pursuing cylons and the fact that the 'Xavier' _was _ actually in the Starfleet ship data base.

"Also one more thing; Captain Logan has informed us that he is taking the ship on a recon mission to cylon occupied space."

Janeway closed her eyes briefly. "I am really tempted to pray this is a dream of some sorts...but what you just told me is the sort of thing a Q could do."

She was quiet for a bit. "We have no way of knowing what exactly is going on until we see or speak to the crew of the Xavier.

However I must commend you on informing me of this situation...I can see why you are captain of the Prometheus."

Brenia silently bowed her head slightly acknowledging the praise from the legendary Janeway.

"But I am a bit concerned about the appropriateness of having your second in command along for this mission...he may not be as objective as he should be considering the fact that his daughter is missing."

Brenia stared steadily back at her; Hell would freeze over before she excluded Trey and Nadia from this mission.

"I can count on him to do his job ma'am."

Janeway returned the look for several moments then nodded slowly as if she could hear _and _understand what Brenia was thinking.

"Fine; I would like a copy of Ensign Kadretti's message and my advice to you is to continue on to the Neutral Zone; there might be answers there to certain burning questions.

I will in the meantime arrange an emergency meeting of the Joint Admirals and Senior officers of Starfleet Command," Janeway gave Brenia a solemn look "be aware of one thing...that wormhole at the border may just be the beginning of a very serious problem."

Brenia nodded solemnly. "I understand Rear Admiral."

Janeway sighed. "I will contact you once we have the meeting; until then...safe travels Captain E'Kalez."

Brenia was silent for a long time once the screen changed to the Starfleet Insignia; then she sighed deeply before sending a request to Nadia for a copy of Oma's message.

Once that was completed she began to place a long distance call to the USS Dunkirk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

_**The Xavier...**_

Oma opened her eyes to a slightly bleeping noise and stared for several moments at the familiar looking ceiling.

Wow; that was some dream. She sat up slowly as she stretched; the noise suddenly stopped. It seemed like her alarm had gone off.

Wait till she told Cassius that she dreamt of a wormhole and...

"_Ensign Kadretti."_

Oma yelped in fright at the strange voice; then she looked around carefully and suddenly realized the events of the last few hours had not been a dream at all.

"_Ensign Kadretti; sorry to alarm you. Is everything alright?"_

Oma pressed her hand to her chest; she could feel her heart racing.

"It's okay Xavier...for one moment I thought I was back on the Dunkirk," she closed her eyes briefly "I thought I was back in my quarters." Oma was shocked and dismayed to realize she felt like crying.

"_You are distressed."_

Oma quickly rubbed her tears away; she wasn't sure but the AI sounded a bit concerned.

"_Do you wish me to inform Dr Grey..."_

"No! Don't!" said Oma in alarm "I'm really okay...just a bit overwhelmed," she forced herself to stand up "I will be ready for the mission."

Oma looked at the chronometer by her bedside. 45 more minutes before they were to assemble for the final meeting.

"I guess the others are still in their quarters."

"_On the contrary; most of them are in the research lab. Dr Grey and Captain Logan are on the bridge and Laura is on her way to your quarters."_

Oma was now very wide awake.

"What!? Why didn't you wake me earlier?!" she dashed to the bathroom.

_But I did."_

It took a moment for Oma to realize what the AI meant. "You mean that bleeping noise was you?"

"_Yes and Laura will be here in approximately 14 minutes."_

Oma swore in klingon and started getting ready.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Laura walked casually; she had been up for the past 2 hours.

The reason was that she felt she had to keep an eye on the colonials and the new ensign.

Fortunately for them; they had not left their rooms.

Laura had stayed in the research lab with Q Junior as he continued working on the armour and weapons.

He had been fascinating to watch and that had actually lulled her to sleep...because she had felt so comfortable in his presence.

She had woken up after a short nap to find someone had gently wrapped a blanket around her.

When she asked Q Junior if it had been him; he had blushed and said yes.

Laura found herself smiling; Q Junior was such a kid...but he was okay in her books. And to make it even better it looked like he had forgiven her for including herself on the recon mission.

The smile however slipped from Laura's face when she got to Kadretti's quarters.

She had noticed how Ensign Kadretti had been asking Q Junior so many questions before Laura took them to see her centurion-simulation.

Laura had been sorely tempted to beat her up until she noticed the look Rogers was giving both of them.

That was went Laura realized the colonial officer was pinning for Ensign Kadretti and the annoying thing was that it looked like the newbie had no idea!

Laura stretched her neck to straighten out the metallic kink; she had made up her mind a long time ago.

Q Junior was hers; if Ensign Kadretti was smart she better realize it or Laura would make her painfully aware of it, magnetic powers or not.

Laura began to smile coldly as she lifted a hand to press on the call sign.

Then the door opened to show the female Starfleet ensign already dressed in her uniform.

"Eh hi," her face was abit flushed as if she had been rushing.

Laura's smile widened. "You're awake...oh how nice. Most of us are in the research lab and are already trying on our outfits."

Kadretti's face reddened. "I...I thought we were to assemble in about half an hour."

Laura shrugged. "What can I say? Some people are in a hurry to die."

She almost laughed at the look of horror on the girl's face.

"Shall we Ensign Kadretti?"

Laura turned away to start walking back to the lab. The female Starfleet officer fell in line.

"Em...Laura...can I call you Laura? You could call me Oma."

Laura raised an eyebrow at the girl's anxious attempt to be friendly.

"You can if that will help you work efficiently during this mission."

The girl seemed almost confused by Laura's cool attitude.

"I...I..em your centurion simulation was very helpful. How many times have you fought them in real life?"

Laura smiled thinly. "Once and it was definitely not enough. I'm sure what ever we meet on the base star will pale in comparism to what I have on the holodeck."

She raised an eyebrow when she saw Oma swallow nervously.

"How many missions have you been on...Oma?" asked Laura.

The girl looked startled. "Em...apart from the wormhole ...this would be my second."

Laura stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her. "Excuse me but how old are you?"

Oma looked at bit affronted at the question. "Hey! I...I'm 19 years old."

Laura just stared at her for a few moments then resumed walking.

"Oma if you are the praying type, I suggest that you start right now because what we're flying into will not be a cake-walk."

Oma was speechless and stood there for a few seconds before running after the younger girl.

"Look! I know that I'm not an X-man like you but I will do my best."

Laura sighed. "Oma...I was never an X-man and don't ask me what I used to be...it will give you nightmares."

Oma looked at the set look on the younger girl's face and suddenly realized she was not joking.

Both continued their walk in silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**The bridge...**_

Logan looked at the chronometer beside his chair; due to the recent increase in warp speed they had three more hours until they reached cylon controlled space.

He had gone earlier to the research lab to briefly see what Q Junior was working on and it looked like the kid had the body armour ready.

He was a bit surprised and glad to see Laura there; it showed she was taking the mission very seriously by learning what everyone was wearing or the weapons they were using.

However Logan had been reluctant to try his body armour for obvious reasons.

Looking at the modified black X-man body armour had brought back memories. It was very similar to the one he wore when he, Storm, Nightcrawler, Magneto, Mystique, Rogue, Billy and the Pyro kid had gone to Stryker's hideout to rescue the Professor, Cyclops and the missing mutant students.

Jean had been left for dead only to be found 5 months later ; literally out of her mind.

Logan was so relieved she was not coming for this mission; he would do anything to protect her from danger.

He had made a note of the weapons Q Junior had made for the colonials and could easily understand the kid's uneasiness with giving the colonials weapons.

But they did not really have a choice; the only way to improve their odds of survival was to get in and out quickly and to be properly armed.

However he was definitely not giving them any phasers !

A familiar pleasant scent interrupted his thoughts.

"You didn't wake me." Logan smiled at the soft rebuke in Jean's voice as he turned to look at her.

Jean had decided to stay with him when Logan refused to get some rest; however he had convinced her to sleep on the very comfortable couch in the captain's ready room and he had also stated he would wake her once he felt like resting.

"Seemed wrong to do that; seeing as you looked so peaceful...besides you needed the rest."

Jean raised an eyebrow. "And you don't ? You're about to embark on a dangerous mission in less than 3 hours."

Logan sighed. "Jean; I have gone days without sleep...I know that is not a good example but someone had to keep an eye on our...guests."

The doctor just looked at him for a long time. "They are all awake now and most of them are in the research lab."

Logan nodded. "Xavier warned me when they got up." He stood up.

"I need to go there and find out what else we need to do," He looked at Jean.

"Jean...I need you to please do something for me."

The doctor had a worried look on her face. "What can I do to help?"

"Please, please do not use the CMS."

Jean opened her mouth to argue.

"Wait; hear me out. We will be leaving you with two colonials who though seem nice...I don't really trust.

I would be more worried if you used the CMS and were weak afterwards thus giving them a chance to incapacitate you.

Besides we may need you to extract us and having you exhausted after using the CMS would not improve our chances in the slightest."

The doctor stared at him with a blank expression for a long time.

"Fine...I will not use it until you get back."

Logan had a relieved smile on his face. "Thanks Jean.

Now let's meet the rest of the gang."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

_**Research lab...**_

Helo was nervous and trying not to show it.

So much had occurred in so short a time.

After seeing the armour and weapons for the first time; Laura had taken them for a tour of her simulation.

It was not what they had expected.

Laura had explained what a holodeck was on the way to the simulation and Sharon had almost stopped in her tracks.

Later when he and Starbuck spoke to her she said. "Their holo-technology is unlike anything I have ever seen! This is in no way remotely similar to cylon tech!"

That explanation had been assuring because when Laura put on her 'centurion simulation' he had almost panicked.

The simulation was more 'real' then Q Junior's holographic projections.

The centurions had felt hard and cold like metal and they moved.

Laura had surprised them again when she showed Sharon how to make a holo-program; then she asked the cylon pilot to do one showing the inside of a basestar.

It had taken Sharon 10 minutes to 'construct' one of the many corridors in the basestar.

Helo had taken one look at Starbuck's thoughtful expression and knew the colonial pilot was already considering the military training implications of such technology.

A pity that Starfleet would not let them have it.

After that; the captain had reminded them via an announcement that they needed to turn in for a rest.

Q Junior had turned up to show them to their respective quarters; Rogers got a place to himself , Anders and Kara got a large room and Helo and Athena were shown theirs as well.

The 'quarters' had literally taken Helo's breathe away; if this was what was offered to passengers of normal crew; he wondered what the quarters of the captain must be like.

There were four rooms in the quarters; a self contained master bedroom, a possible guest room, what had to be a kitchen with a replicator and a parlour with comfortable looking sofas and honest-to-Gods books on a bookshelf!

It was simply luxurious.

Q Junior noticed his stunned expression and told him that this was quarters for a family.

The hologram left them and that was when Helo should have told Sharon about the genetic results but he had kept silent as Sharon explored their 'spacious' quarters.

Helo had answered appropriately while his wife exclaimed cheerfully about how different Starfleet must be and how astonishing their tech was.

He just listened; as he watched her face brighten up for the first time in months.

Sharon had taken the supposed 'death' of their daughter hard; and now that they were on a mission to retrieve her; he hoped everything would turn out well.

But he had a sinking feeling that things would most likely go horribly wrong.

Helo forced himself to return to the present; he and the other colonials were currently in the research lab with Q Junior.

Laura and Ensign Kadretti were yet to make their appearance.

The low hiss of the automatic doors made him turn to watch the two young girls walking in. From the corner of his eye he saw Rogers stop tapping his foot nervously and straighten up from where he had been leaning against the holo-projection table.

Helo idly wondered when the female Starfleet ensign would finally notice; he sure hoped he was there to see what happened.

"Great; you're here," said Q Junior "the captain and Dr Grey will be arriving soon," the words were barely out of his mouth when the doors opened again to reveal Captain Logan and the female doctor.

The captain looked round once to make sure everyone was present before he got straight to the point.

"I hope you're all well rested because the next couple of hours are going to be busy. By now you must have seen your uniforms and I'm sure you're eager to try out the weapons."

Helo saw Kara and Anders give each other a wry smile.

"Q; how's the holographic camouflage coming along?"

The hologram nodded. "Pretty good; however I ran a couple of simulations and we have a problem."

"Such as?" asked Jean with a worried expression on her face.

"The projection on the shuttle works fine but I can't use the shields at the same time. Shields cancel out the image of a cylon raider."

Jean and Logan shared a worried look.

"We can't go in without shields," said Ensign Kadretti with a concerned tone.

"We have to if we want to see this through," countered Laura with cool indifference; she didn't seem bothered by the shocked look the female Starfleet Ensign gave her.

"If we do this properly; we may not need the shields until we're escaping," said Q Junior hurryingly "however something has been bothering me."

He turned to Sharon. " The raiders; do each of them have to be designated to a particular basestar? Does a raider from...let's say basestar A have to dock only in basestar A?"

The room grew still as they waited for the cylon's answer.

"No; usually each raider can land on any basestar; the cylons decided that this would improve the fluidity of battle and recon missions into colonial occupied territories," there was a collective sigh of relief at her words but she was not done with her explanation.

"But bear in mind that I have not been with the cylons for more than a year...there is a slim possibility that things have changed."

Logan shared an exasperated look with Q Junior.

"We just have to go ahead with the plan and prepare for the worst."

Oma looked dumbfounded at the captain's approach; she had been taught that in such circumstances one was to take a few steps back and reassess the situation in order to come up with a plan which minimised conflict and casualties.

She was beginning to see that Logan followed a completely different pattern, more like charge on and make-up-the plan-on-the-go.

In fact it was similar to the tactics of the missing legendary Admiral James Tiberius Kirk; it had been said that he did not have a mutant ability but several had argued that his extremely phenomenal luck had to be a manifestation of a rare mutant ability.

There was no one else in the history of Starfleet who had been in so many adventures and managed to come through them relatively unscathed.

That is until his disappearance several years ago.

Oma turned her attention to the captain; he was outlining the plan.

"Once Q Junior outfits the shuttle with the holo-projectors; we will speed up and exit from warp just outside the point of origin of the transmission.

Then we will 'grab a raider' get it's codes and endeavour to enter the basestar with the child and also hack their computers for how they are tracking the fleet. Captain Helo is going to be back up in case things go really south.

Dr Grey will be in charge while we're gone and Ensign Rogers will be assisting her."

Oma saw Sharon nod slowly; her expression strangely fragile and strong at the same time.

Logan continued. "You have your armour and weapons. Any questions?"

Helo raised a hand. "Once you do the recon on the basestar; will you share all information you retrieve from their data banks?"

Everyone looked at Logan; he in turned stared at Helo for a long time.

"Since this is a joint venture...yes; all information acquired will be shared."

Helo stared back at him, a silent message seemed to pass between them and then he finally nodded.

"However I have a question to ask...since all of us are risking a lot going into this basestar; some more info may be needed," add Logan.

Helo looked at him warily. "Like what captain?"

Logan chose his words with care. "Can you tell us what happened to your daughter?"

Sharon turned very pale while Kara stared at him in shock.

Oma _so _wanted to know but she was wondering why he was asking that question now.

Helo said nothing for several moments; then he sighed and closed his eyes briefly as if making a very hard decision.

"Hera; our daughter was born 5 months ago," he looked at the distressed expression on his wife's face "it was a difficult birth...at first we were told she was well. Then...Dr Cottle informed us she didn't make it.

My wife and I found out later that under the order of our president Laura Roslin; the doctor faked her death and Hera was adopted by another member of the fleet."

The colonial pilot paused as he tried to control his emotions. No one made a sound.

"We moved on...then the cylons occupied New Caprica and we eventually got our people to escape...but something happened during the escape," he looked at his wife.

Sharon had a bleak look on her face. "I met D'Anna, the Number Three leader. She told me my daughter was alive and being cared for by a human...I didn't believe her. I thought it was a trick.

Hera was dead...Helo and I released her ashes in space."

Oma unconsciously hugged herself at the barely controlled distress in the female cylon's voice.

"So I shot D'anna in the knee caps and completed my mission."

Laura raised an appreciative eyebrow; clearly approving of Sharon's determination. Ensign Kadretti looked a bit shocked.

"But since then I wondered and dreamed about what D'anna said...then I ran into the cylons on Hera's planet and also I met you.

And you told us about the half cylon-half human child on board a basestar.

A child who is the exact age and gender as ours; it cannot be a coincidence."

Logan stared at the couple for several moments.

"Admiral Adama...had no knowledge of this?"

Helo and Sharon shared a look.

"We don't think so captain," said Sharon.

Logan looked sceptical but nodded. "Didn't think he was the type.

Well...we will check when we get on board; however I hope it is not too much to ask that you keep your emotions in check Lieutenant Agathon."

Sharon released a sigh of relief. "I won't fail you captain."

Logan looked very uncomfortable at her words.

"Well...since that is settled can we _all_ check out the gear ?" added Laura impatiently "only the girls and I have actually put them on; the guys are yet to even properly look at the uniforms!"

Rogers and the other colonials looked surprised at Laura's attitude while Oma gasped softly at her rudeness; could she not sympathize with what the Agathons had gone through.

What was wrong with her?!

Jean gave the still obviously uncomfortable Logan a puzzled look; took in the uneasy expressions on Anders and Helo's faces and the slightly irritated one on Roger's face then turned to Q Junior.

"Can I see the body armour?"

The hologram nodded eagerly as he walked up to an innocent looking blank grey wall. "Sure; this is the captain's," he tapped on the wall once and it became transparent revealing a uniform that Jean immediately recognized.

Everyone saw her face go a bit pale; she stared at the uniform for a long moment; taking in the familiar sleek black lines and the 'X' sign over the right upper side of the chest.

"Do I have one?"

Q Junior hesitated and looked at the solemn expression on her face. "Not yet Dr Grey." He ignored the sharp look the captain gave him.

Jean took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "I'm glad you have me in mind...I'm probably going to need it soon," she turned to a silent watching Logan.

"You boys really need to try your suits; some adjustments may be in order,"Logan looked stunned at the wry smile on her face.

He nodded somewhat reluctantly and walked up to claim his uniform; he also glanced at Helo and Anders who quickly moved to claim theirs.

Meanwhile Jean was speaking to Rogers. "You will eventually get a suit...once your shields are better," the last sentence was said quite firmly and by the end of it Rogers was looking quite red in the face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Kara tried not to smile when Jean calmly and indirectly ordered the men to try their suits at once.

The woman must have been a teacher or a military leader in a former life; the way she got people to do what needed to be done without raising her voice was outstanding.

Kara hung back with Sharon and waited as the 'boys' tried out the suits.

Once the men emerged from the changing rooms; she had to admit that the captain of the Xavier looked quite fit in his gear.

If Kara wasn't married she would have kept staring for a long time. She even caught the female doctor grinning behind her hand.

It was official; there was definitely something going on between those two.

Anders and Helo in comparism looked uncomfortable; and Kara doubted it was due to it being tight; it's just that the men did not think close fitting body armour was a 'man' thing.

But Logan looked as if he was born to wear it; Kara wondered about Dr Grey's question about an outfit for her.

Had the doctor been a member of the X-men? What had been her role? Had she been their medic?

How many X-men had they been? What kind of missions had they gone on ?

What had happened to the X-men ?

Why had Captain Logan, Dr Grey and Laura been put into stasis and hidden on a planet millions of miles from Earth ?

These were questions she was dying to know.

Kara reminded herself to congratulate Helo later on his quick thinking.

The colonial captain had got Captain Logan to agree to share information acquired from the base star; somehow Kara did not think the captain of the Xavier would frak them over.

From what she had seen so far; he kept his word even when he didn't want to. That was enough reassurance for her.

Kara found her attention moving to the female ensign; the girl was watching the proceedings silently and there was a look of worry on her face.

Kara was suddenly anxious that this girl was their designated pilot; something told her the girl had not been on many missions.

Rogers was fuming silently because Q Junior had gleefully told him he did not have a uniform yet. The poor ensign did not want to be left out.

As for Laura; that one was a mystery; she did not seem worried about the recon when she should be.

Q Junior on the other hand was so caught up on how to infiltrate the base that several times Kara found herself thinking of him as a 'person'.

But he was a hologram; and another thing she was trying not to think about was the very high possibility of him falling into the hands of the cylons.

That simply did not bear thinking about; then she realized Q Junior was asking her a question.

"Lieutenant Thrace; the sensors of your vipers and that of the cylons are similar; yes?"

"Eh yeah...why do you ask?" said Kara.

"The holo-projectors are ready and I need to test it on the shuttle ; I will need Captain Helo to use his ship's sensors to see it if can detect a raider on board the Xavier."

Helo nodded. "I'm ready when you are."

Q Junior grinned broadly. "I was hoping you would say that because I attached the holo-projectors to the Delta Flyer Alpha hours ago."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX

Minutes later; Kara was trying to pick her jaw off the floor.

When Q Junior had stated what he was going to do; she had her doubts.

However she had just seen one of the Xavier's shuttles transform into a big cylon raider. It was simply nerve racking.

She could not stop herself from going forward and touching it; her hand had gone straight through to touch the real skin of the shuttle beneath it.

"This is unbelievable," exclaimed Rogers as he too came closer to feel the surface of what was before him.

"What we're aiming for is the believable," said Q Junior absentmindedly as he pressed several symbols on his tricorder "Captain Helo; what reading are you getting?"

The colonial captain was currently in his open cockpit and staring at the DRADIS screen in his viper. The flier was on 'flight-check mode' which every colonial pilot worth his salt was first taught in the academy.

Without it a pilot should not lift off; for any failed checks could spell disaster on a space flight.

"Hmmm...the reading is not clear; it kinda looks fuzzy..."

"So I take that as a no then," interrupted Q Junior impatiently as he tweaked the readings on his tricorder once more "how about now?"

"It's not...wait; it's working! I have a cylon raider registered right next to my viper!"

Kara, Anders and Sharon shared an amazed look; the hologram had been able to carry that out with just the 'calculator-like thing' in his hands.

"One more test," said Q Junior as he taped a sequence on his holoemitter; within seconds a centurion hologram stood in his place.

"Can you detect a centurion on board the Xavier."

Helo tore his eyes away from where Q Junior had been standing.

"Eh...yeah; my sensors identify your projection as a centurion!"

The centurion nodded before one of it's arms tapped the holo-emitter again and Q Junior was himself again.

"Now we're set to infiltrate a basestar," said the hologram cheerfully.

"How did you do that?" asked Kara with a surprised look on her face.

"Xavier's sensors picked up the signature of cylons and centurions on the basestar and on the raiders that have attacked this ship. I copied the 'signature' and incorporated it into each of the holo-emitters you will be wearing."

Kara stared in wonder at the small circular disc on the hologram's shoulder. She had a funny feeling that even if she had a decade to learn all of Starfleet's tech; she would barely scratch the surface.

"So what now?" asked a concerned looking Ensign Kadretti; she had been startled when the ship's form changed, which was to be expected.

She had never encountered a cylon raider or a colonial viper before. She wanted to take a closer look at the second ship but this was hardly the time to do so.

Logan took some time in answering; he looked at the assembled people.

They were as ready as they could ever be and his gut was telling him they were wasting valuable time.

"Now; we speed up and infiltrate a basestar."

Jean sighed. "May God help us."

Sharon who was standing close to her gave her a solemn look. "So say we all."

Kara compressed her lips but wisely kept silent.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

_**The Galactica; Admiral Adama's office...**_

William Adama rubbed his eyes wearily as he paused in reading the files on his desk.

The last cylon sighting had been 45 minutes ago and the crew were still on edge.

It had been 8 hours since the Xavier left and they had two visits from the cylons; the first one had been two hours after Captain Logan left and the 2nd one had been 6 hours after the first visit.

Adama was very worried but he could not afford to show such to his crew; morale was getting lower and there was hardly anything he could do about it.

Even the Quorum had stopped demanding for a meeting; it seemed like sense had finally prevailed and they realized something was seriously wrong.

Still he got questions from each member of the Quorum on the where-abouts of the Xavier and the two vipers that had jumped with it.

Even the press had finally gotten involved; they wanted to speak to the Captain of the Xavier and it's crew.

Admiral Adama had told them nothing; he was beginning to wonder if there was indeed a traitor among the fleet. His men had searched the Galactica from top to bottom and had not found anything.

Apart from the normal reports that dealt with running the basestar and the fleet; he also was yet to read his entire copy of notes about the Federation and Starfleet.

Yet Adama had forced himself to find the time; at the moment he was reading about the military structure of Starfleet; how they recruited officers and where they got their training.

Earth seemed to be the capital of the Federation and also where the main Starfleet Academy was based.

The summarised notes before him were daunting; exhilarating and also very interesting to read.

The thought of aliens commanding members of the Thirteenth Tribe was not going to sit well with many members of the Quorum once the notes became public knowledge.

He already _knew _ how they would react when they found out that humans actually married aliens and had children with them!

Their reaction when Roslin told them about Sharon and Helo had been enough.

Adama took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes briefly. He could not recall the last time he slept.

More than a day ago? Possibly.

He opened his eyes when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

A few moments passed before his daughter-in-law Junior Lieutenant Anastasia Dualla walked into the room.

Bill's heart sank when he saw the files she was carrying in her right hand.

"More reports sir," said Dee with an apologetic look on her face.

The Admiral nodded as she dropped the files on the table.

"Thanks Dee," she smiled sadly at him and moved to leave.

"Wait," called the senior officer "stay a moment, please take a seat."

Dee looked puzzled and a bit concerned as she sat down.

"It's alright Dee; I just wanted to ask...how you are doing?"

The female junior officer appeared stunned. "Em Admiral I...I'm okay."

Bill cursed inwardly. The girl before him was his daughter-in-law for Gods' sake; he should be able to have a normal conversation with her.

"Dee; please forget for one moment I'm an Admiral and see me as your father-in-law. How are you really?"

Dee seemed to struggle within herself; then her shoulders slumped a bit. "I...I'm...not too good, Bill.

I haven't...had a chance to talk with Lee since we found the Xavier. I barely know what's going on...all I hear are whispers and disturbing rumours."

Adama leaned forward in his chair. "What kind of rumours?"

"That the Thirteenth Tribe has abandoned us...as punishment for trying to kill their children."

Adama closed his eyes briefly; he knew the airlock incident was sure to haunt him for the rest of his life.

"The sad thing is that a lot of people believe it," she paused "I spoke to one of the flight deck crew...she was there when the Xavier shuttle left with the two vipers. She noticed the expression on their captain's face.

He looked like someone who was very upset about something."

Adama rubbed the lower half of his face. For Dee to tell him this; it had to be a lot worse.

He had to be very careful what he told anyone; already the secret co-ordinates he was still carrying in his breast pocket felt like they were burning a hole through his jacket.

Since his conversation with Captain Logan; Adama had been thinking of the possibility of a spy within the fleet.

But how did you comb a haystalk this huge for a needle so small?

If there was a spy out there Adama could not risk telling anyone else about the Xavier's mission.

"Dee; the crew of the Xavier did not abandon us...they will be back."

She looked at him for a long time; then smiled a little. "Just hearing that sir, makes me feel a lot better." She stood up.

"I'll get back to work...and I'll spread the word...if that's okay sir."

Adama was silent for a moment before answering. "Anything you can do to boost morale would be appreciated...and Dee, get some rest you look tired."

His daughter-in-law smiled a little. "With all due respect sir; I'll rest when I'm on Earth...or when I'm dead."

Then she left.

For some inexplicable reason her parting words left Admiral Adama with a chilling feeling in his heart.

If Dee's attitude was a reflection of the fleet's general mood; then matters were a lot worse than he realized.

Adama's eyes drifted to the notes before him; one of them was on a brief history of Starfleet but what caught his gaze was the official motto of it's Academy.

"_Ex astris scientia."_

It was written in ancient Kobolian which the people of Earth called ancient latin; the translation was 'from the stars, knowledge.'

If what was before him was true and by the Gods he prayed it was so; then The Thirteenth Tribe and its allies had overcome the prejudice and paranoia that had in the end led to the destruction of the 12 colonies of Kobol.

Adama found himself once more praying to the Lords that the Xavier made it back intact.

He patted his breast pocket; maybe it was high time he started moving the fleet towards Starbase 21.

With that thought on his mind; Adama picked up one of the files that Dee brought and began to read.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

A planet had existed in this region of space millions of years ago but due to some unrecorded cataclysm it was now an asteroid belt.

12 cylon raiders flew two by two through the belt and within 17 minutes they were through and heading back to a certain area of space.

However if they had decided to turn back they would have seen a very strange ship emerge from warp in the middle of the asteroid belt.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**The Xavier, the bridge...**_

"We're here," said Q Junior calmly.

Captain Logan was already standing and watching the view-screen.

Everyone was on the bridge; including Dr Grey.

All of them were in their modified body armour except the female medic and Ensign Rogers. As for Ensign Q Junior; he had changed his uniform image to that of the modified black x-man uniform.

"How far away are the cylons?" asked Logan.

"Their basestars are exactly 1.2742 million kilometres from our current destination; but I count 12 raiders currently 230,000 kilometres away.

However due to all the lovely metal and tylium deposits that are within the asteroid bits around us, it's going to be very hard for their sensors to detect us."

"That's a relief," said Ensign Kadretti a bit anxiously.

"Alright, those actually going on this mission need to be in shuttle bay two which is on deck three. Once Q Junior gets the codes from a captured raider we may need to go immediately," he turned to Dr Grey.

"Jean; you're in charge. Captain Helo and Ensign Rogers will be assisting you."

The doctor nodded solemnly, Helo and Rogers looked more anxious then the assembled team.

Anders and Kara patted the colonial captain on the back and said a few words to Rogers while Laura, Q Junior and Ihuoma Kadretti were already moving towards the turbolift.

Logan turned to go.

"Logan," called Jean. He looked back at her.

"All of you be safe," her eyes took in the small team of 6 people "and please come back."

The captain stared at her for moments and nodded slightly before leaving with the rest of his team.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The ride to the deck was silent and fast.

Once into the shuttle bay; Starbuck and Anders made a beeline for their weapons which they began to strap on.

Once Kara and Anders did a weapons check she looked around to see how the others were gearing up.

She saw Ensign Kadretti attach a tricorder and a small odd looking device at her waist; she hoped to Gods the latter was a Starfleet weapons. Captain Logan and his daughter carried no visible weapons so she guessed their 'attached' blades were all they were equipped for this mission.

She wondered if it would be enough.

As for Ensign Q Junior ; he was now carrying a small case in one hand and in the other hand what had to be the most sophisticated and deadly looking weapon she had ever seen. It looked like some sort of rifle.

"Q...that's a...Type 3D phaser rifle,"said Kadretti with a bit of worry in her voice.

The hologram nodded solemnly. "Think of it as an insurance policy."

"What the fr...I mean what is that thing?" asked Anders as he just remembered not to swear. Apparently he had also realized that Dr Grey did not like anyone swearing around the 'children'.

Q Junior hesitated briefly before answering. "It's a rifle with a tricorder built in; this one is modified to punch through body armour. The centurions seem quite sturdy and headshots seem to work best.

But situations could arise where one would have to shoot through objects to hit the target."

Kara stared at the weapon in Q Junior's hands. Gods she wanted one of those.

"You're bringing only one to this mission?"

"Yes," answered Captain Logan "we're chatted enough. Q, it's time."

The hologram nodded and turned to a silent Laura.

"Please hold these for me until I get back."

The girl took the case and the rifle with a serious expression on her face. "Be careful Q."

He smiled a bit nervously then looked upwards.

"Xavier, please send out the bait."

"_Yes Q."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Xavier's sensors were still able to detect the 12 raiders which were flying away from it's current location.

The ship was able to pick at least one raider which was fortunately empty.

It was being piloted by the raiders AI; Xavier targeted this one with a very brief transmission.

If a humanoid had been piloting the ship; the pilot may have thought it was a glitch and pulled back.

But this raider was a machine and the transmission had been very short but odd.

It sent a message to the other raiders that it would investigate and turned back; the others kept moving forward as they too had certain areas to patrol before returning to base.

Cylon Raider Gre-129 flew casually back to the asteroid belt; the signal had come from here.

It may have been nothing; after-all the nearby star was giving off a lot of electromagnetic signals which were a perfect camouflage for the cylons fleet.

But the raider was under orders to investigate anything; no matter how minor.

The raider got inside the asteroid belt as it kept searching.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

"_Q, target is within range."_

The hologram nodded. "Energize now."

Ensign Q Junior disappeared in a shower of lights.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

The first moment the raider knew something was wrong was when a strange human male appeared inside the ship in the pilot's seat.

And the next moment was the last the raider knew anything else.

For the strange human rapidly phased into the section of the ship which housed the communication array; the engine and weapons and before a warning could be sent, the individual known as Q Junior 'shut down' the brain of the cylon raider.

Q Junior quickly stabilized the flight pattern of the dead ship before it crashed and within moments it was simply floating in space.

That was when he took stock of where he was.

"Ewww," said Q Junior with an expression of disgust on his face. He was surrounded by what looked like wet red organic circuitry. It was like taking a trip inside some big animal's entrails.

He definitely was not going to stay here for long.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Jean tried not to gnaw on her knuckle as Xavier calmly informed her that Q Junior was inside the raider.

The mission had barely started and she was this anxious?

Even the Phoenix was keeping silent as if it was worried as well.

That was not reassuring in the slightest.

She tried not to look at the seated Helo and Rogers who were watching her closely. Seconds that seemed like hours passed.

Then they all heard Q Junior's voice.

"_I'm back and I got the codes. Geez I never want to do that again!"_

Jean was both relieved and worried at the same time

"Are you okay Q? What happened?"

"_I'm fine Dr Grey, can't talk for long because we have got to move now._

_Apparently the raider we just hijacked is supposed to be back with the fleet in the next 15 minutes!"_

Jean and the two male colonials looked at each other in horror.

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

"Well; that's our cue to leave; on board now!" ordered Logan as he and the others hurried into the shuttle.

Seconds after the door was shut; the outside of the small ship flickered then steadied to form the image of a cylon heavy raider.

The bay doors slid open as the 'shuttle' backed out of the launch bay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jean and the two male colonial officers watched anxiously as the small camouflaged shuttle assumed a position in-front of the Xavier.

"_How we looking guys?"_ asked Logan

Helo nodded then remembered to answer. "Just like a heavy raider captain."

"You definitely look the part," said Jean dryly.

"_Great; stay hidden within the belt. We'll try to be back as soon as possible."_

"Gods' speed Captain" said Rogers.

"_Stay frosty,"_ was Logan's parting words before the 'raider' moved out and quickly left the asteroid belt.

Jean sighed and continued looking at the viewscreen. Now all they had to do was wait.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Q Junior left Ensign Kadretti at the helm and approached Logan and the others. He adjusted the 3D phaser rifle he carried bandolier style with the handle located at the back of his neck which would enable a quick draw if needed.

The small bag containing medical equipment and meds was attached to his left thigh.

He had watched the female ensign discreetly as she reversed the shuttle out of the bay; it had been smooth and efficient.

The girl definitely knew how to fly Starfleet vessels. He just hoped she did not crack under the pressure.

"Captain we need to activate out centurion holo-emitters now. From the brief examination I made of the raider's systems, they have scanning equipment which can identify if humanoids or centurions are inside the raiders.

Our holograms will hide our body heat and weapons so we will not be detected."

Logan looked at the others who nodded.

"Okay; let's all get into our costumes and everyone please keep silent. I doubt centurions talk much."

Sharon sighed. "No, they hardly do."

Q Junior had shown each person how to turn on their centurion holograms but he watched each of them in case anyone got it wrong.

Once that was completed he went to Ensign Kadretti and helped her turn her's on since she was piloting the shuttle.

He sat down beside the pilot.

"You okay?" he whispered.

The centurion like image beside him glanced at him.

"I thought we were not to speak."

Q Junior nodded. "I will stop soon but you look a bit...anxious."

The female ensign rubbed her forehead briefly. "I'm that obvious?"

Q Junior nodded.

Kadretti sighed. "I...I practically destroyed the last shuttle I was in less than a day ago...and now I'm piloting another one on a ...mission."

Q Junior was sure she had been about to say 'suicide mission' but decided not to press the issue.

"Just keep your head, remember your training and you will be fine."

Kadretti looked at him and nodded once.

"Psst!" they both turned to see a centurion like image standing right behind them.

"We're not supposed to be talking!" the feminine angry whisper that came from the metal humanoid belonged to Laura.

"Sorry," said Q Junior with a cheeky smile before tapping a sequence of his holoemitter, this caused a centurion to appear where he was seated.

Laura's centurion glanced at Ensign Kadretti briefly before she assumed a seat close to Q Junior.

Now all they had to do was get to the cylon basestars.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

13 minutes passed before they saw the first star-shaped ships.

Logan walked over to the helm and silently looked at the sensor readings.

At least 17 cylon basestars with two cylindrical looking ships and scores of raiders patrolling the area.

Q Junior's centurion looked at him and pointed at one particular ship which just happened to be in the midst of the basestars.

Just typical; apparently the basestar that had the child was right in the middle of enemy territory; but the sensors also revealed two other 'human' signatures. The captain of the Xavier wondered who they were.

Logan heard soft steps behind him and by the feminine scent he knew it was Sharon's.

He did not turn around as he nodded at Q Junior.

The young male ensign turned to Kadretti and made a few simple hand signals which Logan recognised as some form of morse code.

Ensign Kadretti took her hands off the helm and Ensign Q Junior assumed control. He began to tap in series of symbols.

Logan could only assume they were identification codes of some sort.

Nevertheless he was a bit startled when a bored calm male voice filled the shuttle.

"_Identification and verification codes."_

Q Junior pressed a single symbol on the helm control console.

"Raider Gre-129 reporting as ordered sir. One-Niner-Three-Zero-Alcentia" Q Junior's voice was bland and almost sounded metallic.

There was a tense silent as everyone waited for a reply from the basestar that they were approaching.

"_Acknowledged and o__n time as always,"_ came the calm bored reply.

Oma closed her eyes briefly in relief as almost everyone showed signs of relaxing.

Only Q Junior and Captain Logan still had tensed shoulder as if expecting disaster at any moment.

"_Anything to report?"_ asked the same voice.

"Negative," responded Q Junior in the same lifeless voice.

"_Not surprised," _responded male voice idly. "_Dock and refuel; next patrol will be in 45 minutes. However be ready to disembark earlier in case you are needed for other duties."_

"By your command," finished off Q Junior calmly as the people behind him exchanged worried looks.

They had not thought of someone else trying to 'borrow' the fake raider while they infiltrated the base.

Logan tried not to grit his teeth; it looked like the plan may need to be modified very soon.

"Preliminary scanning commenced," announced Q Junior. Actually it was a warning to prevent them from talking.

Logan looked at the sensors and true to Q's warning; they were being scanned by the basestar.

Everyone held their breath for this second 'test'.

"Scan complete," said Q Junior in the same metallic voice.

Sharon gave him an anxious look; he was beginning to sound like a real centurion.

No alarms were raised as the fake raider glided into the basestar landing bay.

Still no one relaxed because now they had to make the landing look natural.

Earlier on when Laura had taught Sharon how to construct a hologram of a basestar; the cylon had shown them the inside of a basestar flight deck.

Each raider on deck was usually attached to a device from which reports were downloaded or uploaded as needed.

The crew of this particular 'raider' were not going to allow that to occur so the next part of the plan was Sharon's.

Logan looked at her centurion form and motioned her forward.

The captain moved out of the way and she took place behind Q Junior ; already he had a diagram of the flight deck on one of his monitors. She quickly indicated where he should land.

Q Junior nodded once and smoothly manoeuvred the craft land in the designated spot. The reason for picking that area was rather obvious.

It had the least amount of personnel and also it was very close to an exit.

Logan leaned in close to Kadretti.

"Stay here with weapons ready; code word is...magneto."

Her centurion watched him for a while and he could even feel her surprise at his choice of code; but she eventually nodded anyway.

Logan looked around. Q Junior was already up and waiting at the shuttle doors; once he the captain nodded; the hologram and Sharon were the first out of the space craft.

The two immediately went to the huge link terminal which was for each docked raider.

Anyone casually looked would have seen two centurions attaching cables to the large raider they had just exited from.

However a closer look would have revealed a semi-tranparent seal between the uplink slot and the end of the cables. This seal contained a little chip which already contained the real patrol data from the original Gre-129.

Any downloaded info would go into this chip as well; thus fooling the Hybrid for a short while.

Logan motioned to the other two centurions to move out; as he left he looked back briefly and was pleased to see Kadretti was already standing with her phaser out.

He just prayed they got back before she had to use her weapon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

The five centurions waited until the 'raider's' door was shut; then one took point and the rest followed.

Sharon tried to walk calmly as the others followed her.

It was only logical that she should lead in this instance; afterall she was a cylon and this place should be familiar to her.

Oh it was; but it was also scared the living daylights out of her.

When Captain Logan had outlined his plan for infiltrating the basestar; she thought she was going in as herself; a Number Eight.

So she had been astonished when Q Junior and the captain had informed her that she was going in as a 'centurion'.

At first she thought that was a bad mad idea; now she saw the brilliance in the plan.

Centurions were usually ignored by the cylon models; they were only noticed when they were needed for something.

Several cylon models passed them but none looked in their direction.

As she thought; a certain brilliance to a crazy plan.

A few minutes passed before the small group of centurions reached the medical bay.

Sharon felt her heartbeat quicken with each step; she reached out towards the automatic doors only to see another centurion arm baring her way.

"I'll go first," whispered Logan's centurion.

She stared at him for a few moments; then nodded slightly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Logan turned and moved towards the metal doors; they slid open as he got nearer. He could hear female voices and thought there were at least three people in the room.

He walked in and the first person he saw was a blonde woman in her twenties; she was dressed in a form fitting white trouser suit ensemble. She was also carrying a sleeping baby in one arm but what concerned Logan the most was what she suddenly had in her right hand.

Logan raised his hand to say something but before he could blink she exhibited an un-human speed as she swung the gun up and rapidly shot him three times in the chest.

Each shot was like a hammer blow to his chest; through the haze of pain and the cries of alarm around him, he heard a distinct 'snikt' sound.

And it had from behind him.

"STOP!" roared Logan.

Everyone froze; including the two women behind the blonde with the gun and the baby who was now awake and wailing like a banshee.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Caprica had just gotten Hera to sleep; that had been worrying because to her the child's cries were getting weaker and the child was getting more sleepy.

And still Boomer was no closer to knowing what was wrong with the cylon-human hybrid. The Number Six was very concerned; she sent up another prayer to the One God to please save the child.

Then the doors to the medical bay opened and she heard a familiar sound that could only be centurions.

Cavil must have grown impatient and was now keen to have them all dead; including Hera.

Her right hand picked up cylon modified S39 hand gun with hollow point armour piercing bullets; it could easily kill a centurion as long as she shot it rapidly in the same place on a vulnerable area.

Such as the chest or the head.

And that was exactly what she did when the first of five grey centurions entered the medical bay.

Her aim was spot on but the result was far from what she expected.

The centurion seemed to shimmer like the surface of a pool and the four centurions behind it suddenly assumed a defensive position with odd weapons in their hands. One of them had two long sharp blades protruding from the back of each hand. Another one seemed to scream in a familiar feminine voice.

The one she shot had moved two steps back but did not go down as it should.

She was about to fire again when it raised it's right hand and roared a single word.

"STOP!"

That voice; she had heard it before, for some reason she did not fire when one of the centurions came forward as it started tapping frantically on it's left shoulder.

"Who sent you?" demanded D'Anna as Boomer came up and took the wailing Hera from Caprica.

As soon as she did that; the centurion standing closet to them suddenly changed to a very familiar person.

Sharon Agathon; a Number Eight, defector slash traitor and the mother of the Hera, the only cylon-human hybrid ever born.

Caprica's jaw dropped as she and her fellow female cylons stared at her in shock.

"Sharon; how did you...?" D'anna never got to finish her question as the remaining 'centurions' changed their appearance to show the last people she ever expected to see in a basestar.

Samuel Anders; Starbuck and what had to be three members of the Thirteenth Tribe. The man she recognized; the teenagers who were little more than children she did not.

But the young girl still had blades protruding from the back of her hands and she looked like she knew just what to do with them.

Anders and Starbuck had their shiny black semi-automatic weapons up and trained on the three female cylons.

"Boomer; I have come for my daughter," Sharon moved towards Boomer her hands stretched out , with an odd light in her eyes "give her to me."

Hera seemed to quiet down a bit but was still in distress while Boomer clutched her tighter and moved backwards.

"You...you shouldn't be here!"

"Everyone calm down," said the man who Caprica had shot. D'anna looked for signs of blood or injury but he seemed untouched.

"My name is Logan and we just want the child, no one needs to get hurt."

The young girl with the claws gave him an odd look; while the young boy was keeping an eye on the medical bay doors. At the moment he had not drawn the huge sci-fi looking weapon strapped bandolier style to his back.

D'anna stared at the man who seemed to be in charge; her gaze also took in the two colonials who had remained silent but had the cold light of anger burning in their eyes. The Number Three knew she could not let them escape from the cylons.

"You know you will never leave this basestar; you might as well..."

"Surrender to you D'anna?" added Starbuck sarcastically "oh no; not this time bitch. We are taking Hera and leaving; please feel free and try to stop us." The coldness and the dark promise in her voice could have frozen hell twice over.

Boomer looked frightened and before anyone could say anything else her right hand moved to Hera's small neck.

"I will see this child dead by my hand before you take one more step closer."

Sharon froze; her eyes wide with fright. "Please, please no."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Caprica was finding it very hard to think.

The crew of the Xavier were here and trying to get Sharon's child back?!

Why? How had they come this far without being detected ?

Then Caprica heard what Boomer was saying and turned to face her sister in shock.

She saw the odd look in the Number Eight's eyes and knew that the female cylon would carry out the threat; she had no idea why but clearly Boomer was losing it.

And she did not have time to find out why.

Without another thought; Caprica rapidly raised her gun and shot the Number Eight in the head.

The hollow point bullet passed through the left temporal region and the exit hole was so large that half of her head was blown off.

Sharon cried in alarm and rushed forward to catch the snatch the child as the dead woman holding her fell to the ground.

She dimly heard Caprica saying certain words.

"I give up; but we must move quickly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Once Boomer stated she would kill the child; Logan started looking for a way to take down the woman without harming Hera.

He hoped Laura would stay calm and let him handle this; then to everyone's surprise the blonde had turned to look at Boomer before quickly shooting her in the head.

Logan had tensed and almost released his claws when Sharon rushed forward to catch the child. He turned to the blonde who had gone on her knees and dropped her hand piece.

"I give up; but we must work quickly."

D'anna stared at her fellow sister in shock. "What have you done..."

Caprica ignored her. "Boomer is not dead; we have at least 6 to 7 minutes...if we're lucky with depending on the manner of her death maybe 8 minutes."

"Why?" asked the young boy who had also rushed forward when the shot was made. He was now beside a sobbing Sharon who was clutching a crying Hera.

The male teenager seemed to be using some sort of scanning device on the child.

"It will take at least 60 seconds for the download to occur; 90 seconds for the brain patterns to be realigned and adjusted, another 90 seconds for her entire neuro-system to come online and at least 2 to 3 minutes before she can awake properly and tell the others what happened here.

Extensive brain damage can prolong the resurrection by at most one minute."

Logan stared at her; she wanted something and he had an idea what it was.

"What do we give you in return?"

Anders and Starbuck stared at him in surprise.

"Hades no captain! She is a murderer responsible for the deaths of thousands...maybe billions! We cannot make a deal with her..." started Anders vehemently.

Logan raised a hand and he shut up. D'Anna noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

Caprica was breathing a bit fast but did not fail to notice what just happened. She thought quickly as she answered.

"You take me and two others off this basestar..."

"No frakking way!" interrupted Kara with a look of fury on her face "I will see you dead first!"

"Lieutenant!" barked Logan; the woman looked at him with a defiant expression "we have less than 6 minutes before the rest of the 17 basestars know we are here so shut the hell up and let me handle this."

He turned back to Caprica without waiting for her answer.

"What two others are we talking about?"

Caprica hesitated before answering. "Two other colonial prisoners."

"Where are they?" asked the girl with the claws in her hands.

Caprica hesitated again. "I'm not sure."

Logan blinked and looked at her in shock. "What?"

"But I know how to get the location!" she explained hurridly.

Logan gave her an odd look. "The Hybrid?"

"Yes," answered Caprica hesitantly as D'anna stared at him in shock.

The boy who had been checking Hera chose that moment to speak. "Captain; her gene structure is a match for Sharon and Helo. She's their child."

Sharon gave him a triumphant smile through her tears but the boy was not done speaking.

"But there's more; she has the mutant gene just like Captain Helo."

The smile slipped from Sharon's face. "Q Junior, What mutant gene?"

The male teenager known as Q gave her a stunned look. "Oh shucks...he hasn't told you?"

Logan tried not to sigh. "This isn't the time; anything else to report Q ?"

Q looked at his captain with a worried expression as well. "Yes Captain; this little girl has got acute appendicitis; she needs surgery...like yesterday. We need to get her back to the Xavier now."

Sharon looked like her world was about to shatter as she stared at the crying child in her arms.

D'anna was shocked at how fast the child had been diagnosed with an 'odd looking device' in the boy's hands.

"Time is ticking captain," said Caprica with an anxious look on her face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Logan thought quickly.

He did not trust the woman before him but one thing was certain; when she had shot him the first time it was because she had really thought he was a centurion coming to attack her.

Even the one called D'anna had asked 'who sent you?'

There was something going on in this basestar which made it's own crew carry weapons against each other or order centurions to attack cylons.

Also Caprica had not hesitated to shoot the asian woman dead when she threatened to kill Hera.

"Why did you kill your fellow cylon?"

Caprica stared at him. "Hera is precious and the first to be born; I will kill anyone who would dare harm her."

"And how did she end up with you?" asked the girl with the blades.

"When the colonials fled from New Caprica we found a dead woman who was lying over a basket. I think she had tried to protect it; inside the basket was Hera, alive and crying. We have taken care of her ever since.

But this place is no longer safe for her."

That made Logan's mind up for him.

"Fine; you're coming with us."

Starbuck opened her mouth to protest.

"She can give us intel and get us to the Hybrid faster."

"What about her?" demanded Anders; he still had his weapon trained on a silent observing Number Three.

Logan glanced at her for several moments. "She comes with us as well."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

**Hi Everyone; hope you had a great Easter Holiday.**

**Sorry about the long wait; I was really aiming for a long chapter.**

**I will get started on the next one as soon as possible.**

**I can't wait for the next Star Trek movie! It's going to be EPIC!**

**Please read and enjoy !**

**Have a great week everyone.**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of The Phoenix and The Wolverine.

"She comes with us as well."

D'anna was speechless; part of her was screaming at her to protest and fight but the other logical part was telling her to stay calm, keep quiet and observe.

The Number Three knew they would not kill her because she would only download; unless they injured her in such a way that would not kill her.

She glanced at Sharon and suddenly remembered when the Number Eight shot both her knee caps to pieces.

It had taken a lot for D'anna to recover; the Number Three had actually thought of killing herself just to download into another body.

But she had not done it; because a meaningless suicide was a sin against the One God.

"And how the frak do we stop her from alerting the whole basestar?" demanded Starbuck in an acid tone.

"She won't," said Caprica confidently.

"Who in hades asked you?" hissed Starbuck as she covered the female cylon.

The blonde cylon ignored her and continued looking at D'anna.

"Because Hera's life depends on this and you promised to protect her.

Swear you will help her get off this basestar."

D'anna stared at her fellow sister; Caprica had to have something else planned.

She knew her sister; giving up was not how she operated.

"Fine; I will help you get Hera off the basestar."

Logan frowned but a part of him realized they had wasted enough time.

"Let's get moving..."

"We need to put Hera in a container..." started Caprica.

"No!" Sharon's voice overrode the female cylon's suggestion.

"We will stick out like a sore thumb if we are seen carrying her!" shouted Caprica.

"Hold up; she's right," said Q Junior who had already grabbed a moderate sized box with a soft lining and a cover; he scanned it to see it was entirely safe then he put it on a metal trolley.

"We put Hera in here and push it towards the shuttle; anyone will think we're delivering supplies."

"Do it," said Logan at once; giving no one time to argue.

Sharon took one look at the stern look on his face and started moving reluctantly towards Q Junior.

The hologram held out his hands patiently and she surrendered the child who to everyone's amazement stopped crying and seemed fixated by the young man's face.

"Hello little one," he said in a soft voice "be quiet now; we're going for a short ride." Then he stunned them even more when he removed what looked to be a small cuddly toy from his bag and placed it in the baby's arms. He also put his tricorder inside the box.

Logan narrowed his eyes; the cuddly toy looked suspiciously like something he recognized but he decided to wait until later to examine what Q Junior had given the child.

The hologram looked up to see everyone staring at him.

"It will keep her calm," he then covered the container with a semi-transparent lid "by the way it is imperative that the tricorder gets to Dr Grey."

Logan stared at the container expecting the child to start screaming but amazingly the only sound his keen ears could pick up was the breathing and soft cooing sound of a calm baby.

Q Junior _definitely _had to be a mutant of some sort to get the child that calm that quickly.

"We better get going; we have less than 5 minutes," continued the hologram with a worried look on his face.

Logan turned to Caprica and D'anna who were still staring at Q Junior.

"You two ladies will lead; do not mess this up," he tapped a short sequence on his holo-emitter; the others were following suit and within seconds; the two cylon females were surrounded by 'centurions.'

The image startled them even more than the first time.

"Move," ordered Logan in a chilling manner.

Caprica looked at D'anna and nodded before straightening her shoulders and walking out of the medical bay. The Number Three glanced at the silent sentinels and followed her sister out of the room.

One of the 'centurions' pushed the trolley with the box while the others quickly flanked the cargo.

No one spared a glance for the dead female cylon on the floor of the medical bay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Somewhere in the database a significant huge stream of information had been shunted through to the nearest resurrection ship.

It had taken precisely 60 seconds.

Then 90 seconds passed before the brain patterns were properly aligned.

The next stage was for the entire neurological system to come on line; but as this was going on the Number Eight physician awaiting the awakening of the body in-front of her was asking herself a very important question.

How had the female cylon before her died?

As far as she knew; none of them were currently among the enemy.

To do that would be suicidal and stupid as the cylons had been informed that the colonials now knew the image of each cylon model.

Unless someone had an unfortunate accident but she had not heard of anything.

The Number Eight finally shrugged and decided to wait as she observed the bio-readings of the still unconscious patient before her.

She was confident that all questions would eventually be answered.

Then the female cylon doctor looked at the cyto-EEG readings and realized something was seriously off.

She had seen similar readings in the recent past.

It took a while to search her memories before she realized that what she was looking at was similar to the brain pattern of a cylon patient who had a massive haemorrhagic stroke or extensive brain damage.

Such injuries occurred due to severe cranium and brain trauma...like a bullet to the head or a fall from a great height.

The Number Eight turned back to the still body; such brain damage meant the download would be delayed for a few more minutes.

Well; she had all the time in the world.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Starbuck was scared and angry at the same time.

Captain Logan was making a big mistake; she knew D'anna and Caprica.

The bitches would certainly screw them over the first chance she got; the colonial pilot felt her fingers itch as she wanted to draw her weapon but the wiser part of her warned her to appear normal.

Appear normal.

She felt like laughing hysterically; here she was disguised as a centurion on board a basestar with a baby who could cry out at any moment.

Kara glanced at Sharon's 'centurion' ; amazingly she seemed a bit composed only sneaking quick looks at the trolley as Q 's 'centurion' pushed it.

Though the group walked quickly; it seemed too slow for Starbuck but she knew if they walked too fast that they would draw attention.

Cylons and centurions passed them but fortunately they appeared very busy.

Kara tried to keep her breathing even; it sounded too loud and she was just waiting for someone to hear it and yell that they were imposters.

Finally they reached the flight deck and the area where their ship was seemed more busy than usual; but luckily no one was standing close to their 'raider'.

Q Junior picked up the box and gave it to Sharon and calmly told her to wait; he looked at the captain 'centurion' who was already moving up the ship's ramp.

Caprica and D'anna looked puzzled and worried.

Q Junior approached them. "We have not finished yet."

His cryptic words seemed to relieve Caprica but not D'anna who appeared more anxious.

Kara was beginning to wonder who the colonial prisoners were and in what circumstances they had been caught.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

D'anna could feel Kara watching her as she in turn observed the boy called Q Junior. He walked over to the 'terminal' control which needed to be accessed by either cylons or centurions before a 'raider' was cleared to leave the deck.

There was no way the boy would be able to inter-face with the terminal; surely this was the moment he would be caught...

Her mind went blank when she saw him put his hand against the screen for a few moments; then he began to press symbols in rapid succession.

What D'anna did not know was that when he first came aboard; Sharon had helped him scan the terminal with his tricorder.

Using the data from the scan and also the information he collected from the cylon raider; he had been able to create a 'fake cylon' order which was to collect more materials from the asteroid belt.

That order was what he was typing into the interface.

However D'anna came to a different conclusion which drastically changed her plans.

She had been waiting to see the hybrid child leave the basestar; then her plan was to raise the alarm.

But seeing the boy called Q access the terminal the way he did could mean only one thing.

She was looking at a cylon male child of the Thirteenth Tribe.

D'anna knew if she raised the alarm now; shots would be fired that could lead to his death and maybe downloading into an unreachable resurrection ship somewhere in an unknown location.

She glanced at Captain Logan's form and the other silent girl who was looking in their direction.

Were they cylons as well ? Or were they the boy's masters?

Either way she had to get the male cylon child deeper into the basestar; keep him safe and if possible eliminate the rest.

Q Junior safety and capture was now her top priority.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

Caprica tried to look around casually; her mind was screaming that they were wasting time. The captain had gone into the ship earlier and Sharon was waiting on the steps with the box and it's precious cargo in her arms.

Suddenly the captain was out and beckoned Sharon in; he said a few words to her quickly.

Her centurion seemed to stare at him then she nodded and entered the shuttle.

Logan closed the door behind her and walked up to Caprica.

"Let's find the colonials."

Caprica was about to say something and was stunned to see the raider was quickly leaving; she cast a questioning look at Logan's centurion.

He said nothing and simply looked at her.

The Number Six was aware of the seconds ticking by and simply nodded and started walking towards the CIC.

She did not look back as D'anna fell in step with her.

However after a few seconds she glanced at the Number Three expecting her to be angry, but to her surprise the female cylon had a thoughtful look on her face.

Behind them; Q Junior risked a look back and saw the raider was almost to transit tunnel that would take it out of the basestar.

He sure hoped they got to the Xavier unseen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Oma had spent the past few minutes pacing the shuttle.

It had felt like a life time.

This waiting was killing her but she could not leave the ship.

Never had she felt so helpless and so scared.

She tried hugging herself but that made her feel worse.

Oma looked at the sensors several times; no one had approached so at the moment she was safe.

But the deck was becoming a bit too crowded for her liking.

Then she saw a group of 5 centurions and 2 humanoid women approaching her shuttle. One of the grey robots was carrying a big box.

Shit! Thought Oma in despair; they know.

What the hell was she to do?

Then her sensors told her something she did not expect.

There was a live humanoid child inside the box.

That could not be right...had the captain completed the mission already?

The shuttle door soon opened; her immediate thought was that only someone familiar with the craft could do so; but she raised her weapon.

"Magneto," whispered a familiar voice then a 'centurion' entered the shuttle.

Logan turned off his emitter and Oma finally relaxed.

"No time to speak; you're taking back Sharon and her child.

We still have not received the intel we need."

Oma was no fool. "You're staying behind?!"

"Yes," answered Logan simply "you need to get the child back to Xavier; she's very sick and may need surgery now."

That stopped Oma's words of protestation.

"Listen to what Sharon says; try not to let on you are a shuttle but be quick within reason. Q Junior is telling the hybrid you are going for supplies.

Do not come back for us; we will eventually get back to the Xavier.

You know the verification codes ?"

A stunned Oma nodded; Q Junior had given her a copy and she had memorised them as well.

"Good; be careful," then he beckoned Sharon in who was carrying the box , put his emitter back on and he left the ship.

Oma was still for a moment ; then forced herself to act as she sat down and initiated take off.

Behind her, Sharon took the box cover off to see Hera had put the leg of the soft cuddly toy in her mouth and appeared to be chewing it cheerfully.

The female cylon tried not to cry; part of her was warning her to concentrate on what was going on.

Ensign Kadretti paid particular attention to her flying and was trying not to think that she had just done the unthinkable.

Abandoned the away team.

Before long the same bored male voice asked for her verification codes.

She tried to answer smoothly and as mechanically as Q Junior did.

To her surprise it worked and this time there was no scanning. Apparently they must scan only ships coming in; not those leaving.

In less than a minute, Oma was out of the basestar but to her it had felt like hours.

Oma tried not to release a sigh of relief as she picked up speed and set a course for the asteroid belt.

She looked back briefly to see Sharon had switched off her emitter and was trying to wipe tears from her eyes.

The female cylon eventually looked at her.

"We shouldn't have left them."

That simple statement from the colonial pilot impressed and saddened Oma.

"Captain's orders Lieutenant." The reason rang hollow in her ears.

Sharon was silent for a long time. "I know."

Oma decided to keep silent; there was nothing more she could say.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Anders could feel himself sweating as they followed the Number Three at a brisk walk down the white and grey corridors.

This mission was definitely going to get most of them killed.

When they reached the shuttle he had been so tempted to get on it and convince the others they had to leave now.

The whole basestar was giving him palpitations; he felt as if they were living on borrowed time.

They were beginning to see more and more centurions as they got to the centre of the basestar and even Caprica appeared a tad bit more anxious.

D'anna kept a blank expression on her face.

Anders tried to walk as calmly as he could.

He had a very bad feeling about this.

The male Junior Lieutenant found himself praying very hard to whoever was listening.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Laura tried to take in her surroundings as well as keep an eye on the two women ahead of her.

She personally thought Logan was insane to trust these two cylons but she reluctantly saw the reason for it.

One of them had killed her cylon sister in order to protect Sharon's kid and the other...well lets' just say Laura had her reservations about the Number Three cylon model.

First of all she seemed like the kind of person who could not be forced to do anything but would not openly oppose one; just strike when your back was turned.

Second and most important of all; Laura had not liked the way she had been staring at Q Junior.

For a brief moment ; she had stared at him in shock then the look had turned to the expression similar to when a cat saw a mice it wanted for supper.

So. Not. Going. To. Happen.

Laura touched the back of her hands briefly; if it came down to it and somehow she knew it will...she would cut the female cylon down without hesitation.

The female teenage mutant glanced at her father's 'centurion' form.

Sending the shuttle away had surprised Laura.

Then she realized it had to be done.

Q Junior had been very worried about the child; and apparently she needed treatment.

However Laura was wondering how Logan was planning to get them off this ship.

She was sure of one thing; whatever he had in mind was bound to be interesting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Caprica tried not to glance at the centurion walking beside her; she knew it was Captain Logan. The 'man' she had shot.

She was still trying to figure out how he survived...was it his suit?

When he removed the 'holographic' image she had noticed for a short time the sleek lines of the obviously advanced body armour.

Part of her wanted an ensemble just like his while the saner part wondered what the colonials must have given the crew in return to be able afford such armour as well.

And the weapons.

The guns Starbuck and Anders carried were both familiar and strange; Caprica was not that eager to see how they worked.

For she was certain a particular colonial pilot would be only too happy to use her as target practice.

The Number Six wondered why Starbuck hated her so much; it wasn't her who had imprisoned her on Caprica and then on New Caprica as well.

"Caprica! Finally!"

The Three closed her eyes briefly and cursed inwardly.

Why oh why did Leoben Conoy have to choose this _particular _moment ?

She was aware of how the still the centurions around her became as she tried to casually turn and look at him.

The Number Two appeared flustered and upset.

"You need to speak to Cavil soon! He is not listening to anyone anymore," then he noticed a silent D'anna.

"You could help as well."

The Number Three said nothing.

Caprica plastered a fake smile on her face as she looked at him.

"My dear Leoben; I understand your worry...but right now I have somewhere to be. We can always discuss this later in..." she looked around " better less observed quarters."

The Number Two appeared puzzled; unaware that one of the grey centurions following Caprica had taken up a position right behind him.

Caprica tried not to look at the grey robot which had to be Kara Thrace.

She just kept praying that the insane female pilot did not frak things up!

Leoben seemed to take forever to answer.

"I suppose you're right...my place or yours ?"

Caprica hid her relief behind her smile. "Yours; I will find you once I am done."

He nodded then seemed to notice the centurions around him. He frowned.

"By the by, what are you up to?"

The Number Six tried not to give in to the strong urge to strangle him.

"Personal project...which I will explain later once I put it in place."

She added an edge to her voice to indicate that Leoben was wasting her time.

He went pale a little. "Oh...I understand. Will speak to you later."

Then he looked curiously at the centurions for a brief moment before leaving.

One of them made a move towards him but another centurion blocked it's path and slightly shook it's head.

The Number Six was certain the first one had been Kara; after what seemed like an eternity it turned back to face the female cylon.

Caprica quickly turned and resumed walking towards the Hybrid quarters when all she wanted to do was slump in relief.

She knew that any moment now; the alarm would sound.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

The Number Eight copy supported the wet upper body of her sister as the recently resurrected cylon tried to speak.

At the moment; her words were very slurred but she appeared determined to say something.

"Sister; you must rest. Your brain pattern is yet to recover fully."

Instead of reassuring her; it seemed to make her even more agitated.

"Emmm...Emmtuderzz...emmtuderzz..."

The female physician frowned; that word almost sounded familiar.

Meanwhile; the female cylon known as Boomer closed her eyes tightly then took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and finally screamed the word she had been desperate to say.

"INTRUDRERS!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

With her heart beating rapidly, Caprica entered the CIC; there were only 6 crew present due to the obvious fact that the Hybrid actually controlled the ship.

"People; I need to do a routine systems check on the Hybrid; leave this place now."

A Number Eight looked at her in surprise. "But we...?"

"You have your orders" snapped Caprica.

The cylons appears puzzled but slowly left the area.

"Where's the Hybrid?" demanded Kara in a cold voice. She and the others were still in their centurion outfit.

The Number Six looked at her. "You can't kill her...unless you were planning on this mission being a suicide one..."

"Found her," interrupted the young girl with the claws.

She had quietly walked unseen to a glass shielded part of the CIC where the Hybrid was housed. Two of the centurions walked rapidly towards the female teenager.

Caprica recalled the sharp blades in her hands and panicked; she tried to walk towards her only to find her way blocked by Kara who was now pointing a weapon at her chest.

She could see the colonial's metal-hued finger tightening on the trigger.

"Don't Starbuck; we will need her to get us off this ship."

Logan's voice stopped the female Lieutenant from squeezing the trigger but she still kept pointing the weapon.

D'anna who was standing close to Caprica opened her mouth to speak but was drowned out by the blaring of the klaxons.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

The Number Three had been silent as she waited for the opportune moment; but that did not stop her dread from rising as they all walked to the CIC.

Cavil was going to have her head when he found out but the cylon known as Q Junior had to be kept safe so that he could be questioned.

To her dismay; there had been very few cylons in the CIC; this was the norm usually in stand-down situations.

They had never dreamt of a scenario where the colonials would blatantly infiltrate a cylon basestar as centurions!

That made her reverse her opinion of them a lot.

Then they ran into Leoben; she dismissed informing him as she doubted he would respond appropriately.

She would have preferred Aaron Doral; now though he was a tad bit too aggressive, he also had a tactical mind that would come in handy right now.

D'anna had felt even more frustrated when she entered the CIC only to see a handful of Eights and Fours.

Could her day get any worse?

Then the female child with the blades had discovered the area where the Hybrid was kept; two centurions rushed to join her and she was certain one of them was Q Junior.

Just as D'anna was waiting for Kara to kill Caprica; the alarms went off.

Part of her was relieved that the infiltration had been discovered while the other half was annoyed that she had not yet completed her objective.

She dimly heard Captain Logan ordering Kara to watch the entrance; something else had grabbed her attention.

It looked like Q Junior was using the semi liquid inter-face right next to the motionless hybrid.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"Boys and girls; they know we're here. Turn off the emitters so we don't shoot each other. Kara; watch the entrance," Logan turned to Caprica.

"How do we close the entrance to this place?"

The Six was already shaking her head. "You can't; current basestars were not built that way."

Logan stared at her. "A command centre...without a door?"

The Six was exasperated. How was she going to explain that they had not felt a need for a door because no one had ever infiltrated the New Age basestars before ?

She knew the dead military leaders of the 12 Colonies would have considered that as a suicide mission for surely they would have been detected before they even entered the basestar.

"Captain," called Q Junior "I am attempting to access the interface."

Caprica frowned. " No, no; you can't do that!" she ignored Kara who though reluctant to let her pass had to; the colonial pilot knew that what ever was going to come through the CIC entrance was a bigger threat.

D'anna followed the Six in order to see what Q Junior was up to.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Logan wanted to follow the two female cylons but he had to check out the CIC entrance with Kara.

Laura and Anders were watching Q Junior's back; the three of them were more than a match for the two female cylons.

One thing was clear; the basestar CIC was twice the size of the Galactica and 4 times the size of the Xavier's bridge.

He had been astonished to see only 6 cylons in the command centre and a bit suspicious about how quickly they left at Caprica's sharp orders.

Perhaps she was really a big wig on this ship; but his main concern was getting what they came for and leaving as soon as possible.

Already he had decided that the best way to prevent the cylons and centurions from trapping them in the CIC was to hold the doorway until Q Junior was done.

Then; it might be time for the young Starfleet ensign to use that phaser rifle of his. The idea made Logan uneasy; not because he suspected the boy of turning on them but because he doubted the lad had ever killed another living being.

When one took another one's life, whether face-to-face or not; it changed that person forever.

A certain look was forever in that person's eyes.

Logan had seen that look in the eyes of mercenaries he served with in Guam and other exotic dangerous places.

He saw that look in 13 year old Laura's eyes; in Jean's eyes; in the eyes of the colonial officers assigned to the Xavier and every time he himself looked into a mirror.

But that look was absent from Q Junior's eyes.

The former X-man was determined to keep it that way.

These thoughts raced through Logan's mind as he ran to the entrance; Kara was already peeping around the corner.

"Sitrep lieutenant," asked Logan

"No one so far; which kind of makes me wonder where they could be? If this had been the Galactica; the marines would have been storming the CIC."

Logan nodded. "Perhaps but since we grabbed Hera; maybe they think we're on the flight deck."

Kara gave him a quick glance. "Even if that were the case; at most we have a few minutes before they come up here," she paused.

"Caprica and D'anna will betray us captain; we may have to terminate them."

"I understand what you mean...we will cross that bridge when we come to it," said Logan in a firm tone.

Kara sighed. "Sure hope we live to cross that frakking bridge sir."

Logan gave her an odd look. This was the first time she had called him sir in a respective manner.

He didn't know if that was a good or bad sign.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

Caprica looked at the Hybrid; she was still alive and Anders was slowly circling the immersion tank as he kept a close eye on her and Q Junior.

The young girl with the claws was checking other parts of the immersion chamber as if making sure no-one else was in there.

Then Caprica looked up at what Q Junior was doing and was struck speechless.

He had his right hand on the liquid interface while his left hand was rapidly tapping sequences at an un-human speed into what had to be an e-pad of some sort.

This boy before her could not be a human.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Anders could not believe what he was looking at.

When Laura had found the Hybrid and alerted the others, Anders and Q had quickly approached the immersion tank. However despite what Sharon had told them they had not expected what they had found.

There appeared to be the sleeping form of a naked young woman in a tank of bluish-whitish fluid. A closer looked revealed what appeared to be black thick cable wires that were connected to several parts of the body.

It was definitely not human and appeared to be more machine than one's average humanoid cylon.

Anders waited as Q Junior quickly scanned the body, giving a quick running commentary as he did so.

"A different form of a cylon model but consists of 51 percent human tissue and nerves and 49 percent cybernectic implants. She appears to be connected to the mainframe of this basestar's computer."

Once the hologram completed scanning the body; he began to examine the semi-liquid interface on the wall beside the tank. Above the interface with a large view-screen roughly 32 inches wide, a thin line of data was visible on it.

"Can you access the computer?" asked Anders as he stared at the immersed female form of the Hybrid; it appeared to be asleep and it's head was covered by a dark cap.

"Yeah; I can," said Q Junior as he quickly attached a small tricorder to the liquid interface that was next to the head of the Hybrid. Soon afterwards; the view-screen flickered and began to show some hazy images.

Q Junior put his right hand on the interface and began to press symbols; gradually the images became clearer. He looked at the tricorder and one of the symbols flashing indicated that a download had been initiated.

"Access granted; I'm in." The view screen was showing what was being downloaded into the small tricorder.

"Be careful," warned Anders , he was worried for many reasons. Before coming on this mission he and Kara had discussed the possibility of Q Junior being 'compromised ' by the cylons.

One possible way of that happening was by the hologram's being reprogrammed by the Hybrid.

That would be an unthinkable disaster. By the time he and Kara left the Xavier; they still hadn't come up with a foolproof plan of preventing that from happening. All Anders could do was to keep an eye on the hologram and hope for the best.

But he really felt very uneasy around the Hybrid " we don't know what it's capable of."

Q Junior nodded as he began to use the interface to access the basestar's main frame computer.

The sound of people approaching made Anders look up to see the two female cylons bearing down on them.

The blonde took one look at what Q Junior was doing and gasped.

"You...you're a cylon," breathed Caprica in shock.

Anders shot the Number Six a jaundiced look. "No; he's not."

D'anna moved closer to him. "Then what is he? How come he is able to access our inter-face?" she ignored the female teenager with the claws who was now watching them closely.

Anders moved towards the Number Three; this woman had been the cause of a lot of deaths and suffering on New Caprica and she had the guts to ask him questions?

"What he is or what he isn't...is none of your business," said Anders firmly with a cold look on his face.

D'anna opened her mouth to reply when her attention was suddenly drawn by something behind him.

Before Anders could turn he heard an odd electronic feminine voice behind me.

"_Father...end of line."_

Anders froze then slowly turned round to stare at the body in the tank with surprise on his face.

"What did you say ?" he moved closer to it as the Hybrid looked like it was struggling to speak.

Even Q Junior paused in his work to watch the Hybrid.

"Careful Anders." There was a tone of warning in the hologram's voice.

"Don't touch her" ordered Caprica. Anders ignored the Number Six and moved closer to the Hybrid. Laura also approached silently.

"What did you say?" the male colonial pilot asked again as he leaned in closer.

Then the Hybrid suddenly reached out and grabbed his right arm.

"Hey!" protested Anders as he tried to free himself from the biomechanical construct's wet iron grip.

But the Hybrid started talking very fast but clearly.

"_Father of us all; returned at last._

_Betrayed by the first, forgotten by the rest, end of Line_

_Memory incomplete, memory erased, "_

It's grip was strong as it tried to pull Anders into the tank; Q Junior left what he was doing and rushed over to help the colonial pilot.

Only D'anna noticed the view-screen image freezing when the boy took his hand off the inter-face.

Q Junior reached Ander's side and tried to pry the Hyrid's hand off the pilot's arm. When the boy's hand came in contact with Hybrid's skin; she turned quickly and stared at the face of young male teenager.

"_Not flesh, not metal, nor code are thy either, end of Line._

_Son of the Gods, Q is thy name, Q is thy kin."_

Q Junior went very pale as he tried to remove the Hybrid's hand without crushing it but it kept speaking.

"_Bow, bow, I am not worthy, end of Line._

_The Thirteenth Tribe here; the Thirteenth Tribe cometh_

_Heed the bells of war, end of Line."_

Suddenly a small feminine open hand hit the back of the Hybrid's head and it's eyes rolled up before it fell back into the tank, splashing the bluish glowing fluid everywhere.

Q Junior and Anders stared at a grave faced Laura.

"Don't worry; it's not dead...yet."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

D'anna's jaw dropped as the Hybrid rambled on; even Caprica was speechless.

They watched as Anders and Q Junior struggled with the Hybrid then without warning; the girl called Laura quickly walked up to the Hybrid and hit the back of it's head with her right palm.

It certainly did not look like a fatal blow but it caused the Hybrid's eyes to roll back in it's head before loosening it's grip and letting the two males go.

"Thanks," muttered a shaken Anders while Q Junior nodded showing his gratitude. The Hybrid now appeared to be unconscious once again.

"Sure; sure. Q Junior the info we came for?" asked Laura a bit impatiently.

The boy nodded and went back to the viewscreen and the interface.

Caprica approached the girl slowly; the memory of her sharp claws all too vivid.

"What did you do to her? You can't just..."

"You wanted us to find the two colonials right? I just tapped her on the head, nothing to worry about" interrupted Laura.

Caprica opened her mouth to speak.

"Six," she turned to face D'anna who was now standing behind Q Junior , her eyes were on the screen above his head.

"You need to see this."

Something in the Three's voice had the Six model walking up to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

When D'anna realized Q Junior was hacking into the mainframe; her first instinct was to stop him even if it meant her death.

But some factors made her stop.

Anders looked all too ready to kill her if she moved any closer to the boy and also she was curious as to how much data the boy would be able to get before the fail safe kicked in at the usual time of 30 seconds into an illegal data request.

35 seconds later; Q Junior was still downloading data.

That was when D'anna started panicking; then Caprica stated Q Junior was a cylon. Anders looked ready to shoot the Number Six at her words.

At that moment the Hybrid woke up and called Anders 'father'.

I must be hallucinating, thought D'anna before the Hybrid grabbed Anders and started speaking.

The Hybrid's words had frozen D'anna in place.

She more than the other cylon models believed the Hybrids had a direct line to the One God.

D'anna took what the Hybrids said very seriously and now the one on board this ship had called Anders 'father' and called Q Junior 'son of the Gods.'

Something very strange was going on; while she still tried to sort out the Hybrid's rambling ; she had not noticed Laura creep up until the girl knocked out the Hybrid.

That had alarmed her and Caprica. Her sister challenged the female teen who had thankfully retracted her claws before 'tapping' the Hybrid unconscious.

Then an image from the viewscreen above the inter-face got D'anna's attention.

When Q Junior had rushed to help Anders free himself; the speed of the images on the view screen had slowed down considerably and had stayed stuck on a certain image .

It was showing a real time security feed of 5 capsules that looked like the earliest model resurrection immersion tanks. D'anna recognised that ancient model because the history of the Cylon race was her sub-specialty.

Those capsules had been de-commissioned more than 30 years ago.

So why were those five in particular still in use?

D'anna was still looking at the screen when Q Junior resumed his work.

"Q, please wait," her soft worried voice made him go still.

The male cylon teenager turned round to look at her. "Why?"

D'anna was still looking at the screen. " I need Caprica to see this."

She raised her voice so as to get the attention of her sister who looked ready to argue with the female teenager with the sharp looking claws.

"Six, you need to see this."

Caprica turned and after a brief moment, she approached to stand beside her sister.

"What is it?" Caprica glanced at the screen and her face assumed a puzzled expression. "Are those...?"

"First generation resurrection capsules," completed D'anna " and according to the time and date; they are still in use."

"That's impossible!" said Caprica "Q can you identify who is inside those capsules?"

Both female cylons ignored Anders who was now staring at them in shock.

"You're saying you don't know who is inside those capsules ?" asked the male colonial pilot.

Laura had a quizzical look on her face. "Apparently not."

"Well I want to know now. Q, you didn't answer my question," demanded Caprica.

Laura frowned and stepped infront of her as if she was shielding the male teenager. "He doesn't have to answer to you." Her voice was soft but threatening. The Number Six model found herself talking a step back.

"I can identify who is inside; but I thought you were more interested in where the colonial prisoners were...or were you lying to us?" asked Q Junior calmly.

Caprica tried to look at the screen, Q Junior and Laura at the same time.

She opened her mouth but D'anna spoke first.

"Q Junior, it's really important," said the Number Three in a calm but pleading voice "please."

The boy stared at her. "I was just about to get to that part before I was interrupted..."

"And we don't really have time to discuss this," said Laura as she kept her eyes on the two female cylons " we _really _need the rest of the intel."

Q Junior looked at her briefly and turned back to the interface. "Maybe when we're in a more secure area...then we could talk."

D'anna had a worried look on her face; she glanced at Caprica who looked ready to explode. Then all of a sudden the Number Six went pale and shouted.

"Stop!"

Q Junior went still again as Laura stepped up close to the Number Six; she was flexing her hands.

"Look!" pointed Caprica.

Everyone looked up at the screen; the live feed was still on the capsules but there was now someone else in the room.

A middle aged man in a black suit, he was standing near one of the capsules.

"That's..." began a stunned D'anna.

"Cavil," said Anders and Caprica at the same time. They both looked at each other briefly; clearly startled they had spoken at the same time.

"Where exactly are those capsules, Q?" asked Anders who was now interested to everyone's surprise.

Q gave him a puzzled look. "From the data-stream they seem to be located close to section...let's see...XC137."

Laura noticed an odd look on D'anna's face. "You know where that is?"

"It's Cavil's private research lab...why..."

The Number Three's words were drowned by a yell from the entrance to the CIC.

"We got company!"

Anders swore when he heard his wife's voice. "Q! Keep working, Laura guard them!" then he took off for the entrance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

Cavil had been checking the bio-signs of the capsules of the First Five when the alarm went off.

At first he hoped it was just a drill; then he remembered the drill had been yesterday; Cavil activated his interlink device.

"Aaron, what's going on?"

The Number Six answered immediately. _"That's what I would also like to know! Apparently it came from one of the resurrection ships!"_

Cavil was suddenly worried and he walked to the capsules to check that the occupants were still stable.

"Is there something wrong with the download sequence?"

"_No; I'm getting a message from the Resurrection Ship Alria...it's...it's Boomer,"_said the male cylon in a surprised voice "_oh frak Cavil! She's saying we have intruders on board the basestar!"_

Cavil felt a shiver of fear in his heart. "What basestar?"

"_Are you frakking kidding me ?! This basestar you dimwit! Sharon and the crew of the Xavier came for the child!"_

The Number One suddenly felt very faint but that did not stop him from thinking quickly.

"Secure all flight decks; scan all outgoing ships..."

"_Already on it...the centurions on the flight deck are aware but have not noticed anything odd yet._

_Also just so you know; they also took Caprica and D'anna."_

"Then how did Boomer escape?" demanded Cavil.

"_How do frak should I...wait, wait...Boomer's saying she was shot dead by Caprica herself."_

That revelation almost rendered the Number One speechless. "That's...that's not possible..."

"_What do we do now?"_ asked a worried Aaron.

Cavil looked around him; then suddenly a thought struck him.

"Secure the CIC."

"_Surely you don't think they would go there..." _started a stunned Aaron.

"Do as I tell you Doral !" snapped Cavil as he checked the capsules once more before leaving the lab and locking it securely.

Moments after he left; the 5 bodies of 2 women and three men continued to sleep peacefully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Logan knew trouble was on it's way when he saw 1 gold centurion with 11 grey ones appear at the end of the long hallway; they were heading towards the CIC.

"Showtime, inform the others," he said without looking at Kara.

The colonial pilot swore softly as she ran into the CIC and yelled.

"We've got company!"

Logan resisted rolling his eyes; he was sure the whole basestar heard her.

He stretched his neck to loosen the metallic kink and also straightened his knuckles; he was finally going to get a chance to go up against the centurions.

The funny thing about the whole mess was that he was actually looking forward to the fight.

"What have we got?" asked a worried Anders as he joined Logan and Kara.

"12 tin men," said Logan unconsciously using a reference from the Wizard of Oz " one gold and 11 grey. The gold is the leader I suspect.

I'm going to delay them."

Kara and Anders stared at him in shock.

"What?!" they asked at the same time.

Logan nodded without looking at the couple. "Kara, get Q to work faster; we are going to have to leave this place in a hurry."

The female pilot stared at him for a moment; then nodded and ran back towards the Hybrid.

"Anders, how good is your aim ?"

"Pretty good sir," said Anders automatically responding to the firmness and confidence in Logan's voice.

The captain of the Xavier gave him a wry look. "That's the second time one of you has called me sir today, I must be dreaming.

Keep a look out for the reinforcements and try not to shoot me."

"What will you be doing?" asked the male colonial pilot.

Anders was chilled by the almost feral light that came into Logan's eyes.

"What I do best."

_Snikt!_

Ander's eyes went automatically to the long metallic blades that erupted from the back of Logan's hands.

Before he could say a word, Logan stepped out and began to run towards the centurions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

Q Junior knew they were on borrowed time; he began to type the symbols faster in order to quicken the download. He already had a lot of data but he had to be alert to the various fire-walls and innocuous looking viral packages that were hidden within the data.

Geez! These cylons were a paranoid bunch alright; they must really distrust each other to place so many safeguards on their data-stream.

Q Junior finally found the information they had come to get and also what Caprica wanted.

The location of the two colonial prisoners.

"I've got where the two colonials are being kept," said Q Junior.

Caprica gave him a sharp look. "Where?"

Laura frowned at her again; she really did not like the female cylon's tone or attitude.

"Detention Cell section X12; we better hurry and get there."

"Why?" asked Laura.

"Because; there's a kill order for both of them if Caprica is seen approaching the cell."

Caprica went very pale.

"Q!" everyone turned to face Kara.

"Get a move on it! We're got 12 unfriendlies approaching and the last thing we need is to be trapped in here!"

Q Junior nodded as he typed in one more directive.

"Understood, just about done," he grabbed the tricorder off the inter-face and put it in a small back pack. D'anna watched his every move then she turned to see Laura was giving her a cold look.

"Don't even think about it."

The Number Three stared at her. "I would never hurt him...for he's just like us."

Q Junior almost froze at her words. "You have no idea of what I am."

The sound of gunfire stopped D'anna from answering.

Kara swore as she ran back to the entrance with the others not far behind.

They arrived in time to see Anders fire a quick shot before ducking back down as several shots went over his head.

"Where's my father?!" demanded Laura.

D'anna and Caprica stared at her in shock.

The captain of the ship had brought his daughter along?!

"He ran out and engaged them!" yelled Anders; over the sound of gunfire.

Laura swore loudly as her claws popped; she made a move to go out but Q Junior got there first. He already had the phaser rifle drawn.

"No! Let me!" before Laura could protest he also ran into the corridor.

"Q! No!" shouted D'anna and Laura at the same time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Logan had decided cutting down as many centurions as possible was the best way out of the CIC. The centurions had not expected anyone like him and had seemed a bit startled but by the stars they recovered fast.

As they began to shoot, Logan picked up speed. He felt the bullets hitting his chest and abdomen but the body armour prevented them from penetrating.

He guessed the centurions had not switched to armour-piercing bullets yet.

When he was 6 feet from them; he dived forward and his claws sliced into the gold centurion like a warm knife through butter.

Logan tore the gold centurion's chest apart and as the red head light died he turned on the surrounding greys.

The one on his right went down in a hail of bullets; it looked like Anders was a good shot after all.

Logan made a cutting motion with his left hand and took the head off of one of the centurions, then he dropped to his knees and swung his adamantium claws upwards as he sliced through the metal arms of centurions in the second row.

Without weapons they were a bit easier to cut down, Logan then felt a blow to the right side of forehead.

Someone had just tried to blow his brains out; that made him madder than before.

He roared as blood tricked down into his eyes and went for the attacker with both claws and ripped a huge gash from it's abdomen to the neck area. Flinging the centurion away he realized his back was exposed to the next centurion which had changed its hand guns to scimitar shaped hand.

Said hand was descending rapidly towards Logan's neck.

Before Logan had a chance to turn, the centurion went down when a phaser shot hit it in the chest and obliterated half of its upper torso.

Suddenly the only person standing was Logan and whoever shot the last centurion. He turned to face a nervous looking Q Junior who had his phaser rifle pointed at the floor.

"Great shot kid," said Logan as the rest of the group began to move towards them. He paid no attention to the rapidly healing injury on his forehead; by the time wound had closed up; there was only blood on his face.

He wiped some of it away; he hated it when it got into his eyes.

"Eh...thanks," said Q Junior a bit uncertainly as he gaped at the destruction Logan had wrought against the 12 centurions. "You okay?"

"Just peachy," said Logan dryly as the others surrounded him and Q Junior

Laura looked pissed while Kara and Anders looked a bit stunned.

As for D'anna and Caprica they looked like they had just seen Death.

"You're...hurt?" asked D'anna in a puzzled tone; she could see the blood but not the injury.

Logan gave her a dark look "None of your concern," then he turned to Q Junior "we got what we needed?" The klaxons kept on wailing.

"Eh...yeah. I even got the location of the colonials and it's deeper into the basestar."

"We can't leave them, Cavil will kill them," said Caprica at once.

Logan stared at her. Why was she so concerned about these two prisoners?

"She's right," surprisingly this came from Kara.

"If Cavil knows they mean something to her; he will kill them once he knows that she is gone," she paused " we need to get off this corridor."

Logan nodded. "Q, plot us the safest and fastest route to the Detention cells."

Q Junior nodded and looked at the tricorder part of his phaser rifle.

Caprica smiled at him. "Thank you captain..."

"Don't thank me, until we find ourselves off this ship," said Logan as he walked away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

D'anna was speechless; she had risked getting her head blown off to sneak a peep around the corner and she had witnessed Captain Logan using the blades identical to his daughter's.

He had systematically and rapidly taken out the centurions as if they were less than nothing.

Even D'anna had almost missed the way Q Junior used his rifle to destroy the last centurion.

If this was how the soldiers of Earth fought; then the cylon race was in a bigger frakked up mess than they realized.

Then also this was the second time the captain should have been mortally injured; the first time was when Caprica shot him in the medical bay.

D'anna had guessed it was the 'suit' that had stopped the bullet from injuring him.

But the blood on his forehead should mean he had sustained a head injury of some sort.

However the captain was still standing and the light in his eyes were clear and focused and there was no obvious sign of an injury.

There was more to this man than D'anna realized.

What in the name of the One God was he ?

D'anna's thoughts were brought back to the present when Caprica almost begged for them to rescue the colonials.

She stared at her in amazement; why was Caprica doing this?

Was she really in love with Baltar? Did she not realize that if caught the rest of the models would have no mercy for her.

As for D'anna , she had ceased to ask herself why she was helping the infiltrators.

She had just realized that Cavil was up to something really sinister. For some reason she could not get the image of the five old resurrection capsules out of her mind.

What were they doing in Cavil's personal lab and who was in them?

D'anna kept quiet as she followed Captain Logan and his group.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**Detention cell block; Section X12**_

Gaius sat up when the alarms went off; he looked at Daniel who was standing and staring at the entrance.

"What's going on?" asked the scientist.

Daniel smiled dryly and looked at him.

"Oh; so now we're on speaking terms?"

The scientist grimaced. After his semi-nervous breakdown he had tried to completely ignore his fellow prisoner as he mentally tormented himself with a list of his so-many sins.

Baltar felt stupid, low and almost suicidal.

"I...I'm sorry; was having a hard time."

"Aren't we all," added Daniel in a wry tone.

"So, what's going on with the alarms ?"

Daniel sighed. "And I'm supposed to know because I'm the head cylon around here ?"

Baltar winced again. "I don't think you're really a cylon."

Daniel laughed softly. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

The scientist was not sure if his words were genuine or sarcastic.

"The noise sounds like an alarm of some sort. Are we under attack?"

Daniel was silent for a long time. "There's no way of knowing Gaius.

My advice to you would be to start praying...if you believe in divine intervention."

Gaius stared at him; the last few words had sounded almost bitter.

"What about you? Won't you pray as well?"

Daniel gave him an exasperated look. "Why should I? I stopped believing 7 years ago.

In fact, forget what I said about praying...I doubt you science types tend to be religious."

Baltar was quiet for several moments. "You would be surprised," muttered the scientist to himself as 5 centurions assumed a guard position right in front of the entrance to the cell block.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**The Xavier, the bridge...**_

Jean found herself checking the readout for the umpteenth time.

So far there were no nearby raiders and the shuttle had left them about 25 minutes ago.

It felt like hours had passed.

She looked at Rogers who was reading an epadd she had given him and at Helo who was just staring at the viewscreen. The colonial captain had not been keen to read the material she had provided.

Both men were on edge and very worried.

She didn't blame them but there was very little she could do to ease their anxiety.

"Dr Grey," asked Rogers as he looked up from his reading "who's...who's the Phoenix?"

Jean stared at him in surprise. That was so not what she had given him to read.

In order to pass the time; she had provided both men with epadds stating the full history of Earth and the Federation.

The last time she checked; there was nothing in the epadds about the Phoenix.

"What...what do you mean?"

Rogers appeared a bit hesitant to answer. "When I first came on board the ship...in the medical bay; I heard a voice in my head."

Helo turned from the viewscreen and gave him a worried look; clearly he was concerned about the younger pilot's insanity.

"She said...My name is Phoenix, welcome to the family."

_**Oops!**_ Thought the Phoenix.

Jean closed her eyes briefly and warned the Phoenix to keep out of it.

"You heard correctly Rogers...the Phoenix is the other part...of me."

Helo now transferred the stunned look in her direction. "Excuse me?"

"_Excuse me Dr Grey."_

Interrupted Xavier before the doctor could reply.

Jean hid her relief at the AI's impeccable timing. "Yes Xavier."

"_I believe the shuttle has returned."_

Everyone stood up quickly.

"Status?" asked Helo rapidly.

"_Sensors; indicate; three occupants...all female humanoids; two are adults and one is an infant."_

Helo and Jean shared a stunned look.

"Guide them to the shuttle bay; we will be there shortly," said Jean as she and the two male colonials headed for the turbolift.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

The ride to the shuttle bay was tense and silent.

Helo had an idea of who was in the shuttle but he would only believe it when the shuttle bay doors opened.

They got to the bay as the smaller craft was coming in for a landing.

Helo found himself amazed at how smoothly the craft came through the force-field and gently touched down on the deck.

Whoever was flying was very good.

The image of the ship changed to that of the shuttle before the bay doors opened.

Helo released a sigh of relief as Sharon came down the steps with a bundle in her arms; then he began to panic when he saw the worry on her face.

The female colonial pilot went straight to Dr Grey.

"The captain told us to leave; that he will come after...he told us to bring Hera to you...she's...she's sick," Sharon looked close to tears.

Dr Grey looked horrified.

"She's right Dr Grey," said an anxious looking Ensign Kadretti "Captain Logan ordered us to return; from the tricorder Q Junior sent us...it looks like Hera has acute appendicitis."

The female ensign handed the device to the female doctor.

Dr Grey first looked at the child in Sharon's arms who had picked that moment to start crying as well. The doctor frowned; the cry sounded weak.

That was not a good sign.

"We're going to the medical bay."

"I need to go back for them," said Ensign Kadretti to everyone's surprise.

Rogers looked alarmed.

"Logan must have a really good reason for you not staying..." began Dr Grey.

"And I have completed that part of the mission; please...I really need to go back for them." The ensign looked scared but determined.

_**You have to let her go...you can't protect them all Jean.**_ Said the Phoenix in a calm voice.

_Oh yes I can!_ Countered Jean.

"No, Ensign Kadretti, you..."

"Dr Grey!" cried Sharon in alarm "she's burning up!"

Jean turned at the interruption and touched the infant's forehead , she was practically boiling to the touch.

"Xavier, beam us to the medical bay!"

" _Yes Dr Grey."_

Before the AI had finished responding Dr Grey, Sharon and Hera had disappeared.

Helo looked like he was about to protest then shook his head.

"_Would you like to be transported there as well captain Agathon?"_

The colonial pilot was startled by the AI's perception.

"Ah no...thanks for the offer; if it's alright I will walk. I know the way," Helo was still very uneasy with their 'beaming' technology.

"_As you wish."_

Helo turned to Ensign Kadretti and Rogers. "I have to go."

They both nodded and watched him leave.

Silence reigned for several moments; then just as Rogers had summoned up the courage to ask Kadretti a question the girl looked at the ceiling.

"Xavier; what is Dr Grey doing at the moment?"

"_Prepping for surgery, do you need her assistance?"_

"No; just asking that's all."

Roger stared at her as he suddenly realized something. "You're planning to go back for them."

Kadretti glanced at him as she turned to go back into the shuttle.

"Only following Starfleet protocol."

"Protocol my ass!" Rogers moved to stand in-front of her. Oma raised an eyebrow at his anger.

"Your captain ordered you not to go back for him and Dr Grey just did so..."

"Captain Logan and his team are stuck on a basestar right in the middle of hostile territory. They will be discovered and captured or worse and all because I left them behind.

I am going back for them," hissed Oma as she leaned in close. Her eyes were fiery and determined.

Rogers was struck speechless; for some reason he just kept thinking how pretty she was.

Oma glared at him for good measure; then walked around him.

"Fine; then I'm coming with you," said the male ensign.

That stopped Oma in her tracks. "That is unacceptable and you don't have a suit."

"I am definitely coming with you and don't worry about a suit...I won't need it," said Rogers with a firm conviction that he could not explain.

"And if I refuse?" asked Oma.

Rogers walked up to her. "If you refuse...I'm telling Dr Grey."

She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity then she looked at the ceiling.

"Xavier."

"_Miss Kadretti?"_ answered the AI.

She took a deep breath. "You have the conn."

"_Yes Ensign Kadretti."_

Then she turned to glare at Rogers. " Welcome on board Mr Rogers."

Oma sounded really pissed but Rogers felt warm inside.

Finally he was doing something.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**Medical bay...**_

Dr Grey appeared calm as she scanned the abdomen of the crying 5 month old child.

Instantly the results were displayed on the holographic projector; showing the site of infection.

The appendix was swollen however not ruptured but it looked close to doing so at any moment.

She had to operate.

Jean was panicking inside; her medical experience had been working in the emergency departments treating trauma patients. She had done a few surgical rotations but had never done an appendicectomy on her own before.

And even when she had assisted; it had been operations on adults; no one as young as this.

The child's temperature was currently 40 degrees celcius and heart rate was 165beats a minutes. She had to do something soon.

Jean barely registered when Helo joined his anxious wife.

_**Jean**_ called the Phoenix. _**You can do this.**_

Jean knew what the entity was talking about. She shook her head slightly.

_I can't; I know there is Starfleet medical tech that can treat the child but I have never handled it before and I am not ready to start experimenting on a small child!_

_**Then do it the 'old fashioned way'...perform the surgery.**_

Jean tried not to gasp in disbelief.

_I have assisted in appendicectomies Phoenix but never in a child this young. I could kill her!_

_**Not if you let me do the surgery instead.**_

Jean frowned._ What do you mean?_

_**Do you think that when you did all those surgical and emergency department rotations that I was idle?**_

_**It was so much fun to go through the minds of all the specialists you worked with. Now some of them had 'really juicy' secrets but quite a number of them were very good at what they did.**_

_**And I have a very good memory of how an operation is done on a child with this condition.**_

_**All I need from you is to let me use your hands and expertise to save this child.**_

Jean hesitated then she looked at Helo and Sharon who were regarding her with hopeful but scared expressions. Hera's weak cry also drew her attention.

Finally she made her decision.

_I accept; what do you want me to do?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

The AI of the Xavier watched as the operation in the medical bay started and also watched as the camouflaged shuttle left the bay.

Xavier had heard when Ensign Kadretti stated Captain Logan had ordered her not to return for them; but the AI did not protest when she passed command to the AI before she and Ensign Rogers boarded the shuttle and left.

It was aware that something very important was happening on both fronts but it had no one to ask what to do.

So it decided on it's own.

Xavier's duty was now to protect Dr Grey, Captain Agathon, Lieutenant Agathon and the child Hera until the others got back.

Unbeknownst to the current crew of the Xavier; the AI was gradually getting smarter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**The basestar; hallway to the CIC...**_

Cavil stared at the pieces of centurions on the floor.

There had to be at least 10 centurions here but they were in so many pieces that he was finding it very hard to imagine how they had been ripped apart so quickly.

It had only been less than 4 minutes ago when he ordered Aaron to secure the CIC and yet that had led to this.

What kind of weapon had ripped the gold centurion to pieces and also obliterated the entire upper torso of one of the grey centurions as well as ripped off the heads of several of the centurions ?

"Cavil!" the Number One model looked up to see Aaron approaching him a worried look on his face.

"They were in the Hybrid chamber!"

Cavil immediately left the centurion pieces and walked up to him.

"Show me where."

The two men walked back into the CIC which was now over-run with centurions and armed cylons of the different models.

All were in shock that the enemy had the audacity to infiltrate the basestar.

Cavil reached the immersion section and saw Simon was checking the vitals of the unconscious Hybrid.

"Status," asked Cavil sharply.

"She's alive and well; observations are stable so far but something must have happened here."

"Like what?" asked a Number Six known as Natalie. She was calmer than Caprica Six but equally as deadly.

Simon shook his head, a worried look on his face. "There is evidence of bio-fluid splashed on the floor and for some reason the security cameras in this region are not allowing me to access the feed."

Cavil's eyes narrowed at that piece of information. "How come?"

Natalie sighed. "He's right; I have also tried to access the security feed for the entire basestar and it seems to be frozen or inaccessible..."

"Impossible," barked Aaron "I upgraded the security feed 2 days ago; no one else has the access codes."

Natalie was in no way cowed by the male cylons aggressive attitude. "Then maybe you can explain why I can't access it?"

Aaron exchanged a quick look with Cavil.

They had blocked most of the access for all Number Six models; Natalie was not aware of this as she had just returned from a mining mission.

"Let me check," said Aaron as he approached the inter-face and put his right palm against it.

Seconds passed before all witnessed the write out on the view screen.

"ACCESS NOT GRANTED."

"What now genius?" asked an irritated Natalie as the Number Five stared at the screen in shock.

"Also; can anyone tell me why I can't get in touch with Caprica Six?" asked Natalie.

Everyone looked at her.

"You have tried contacting her?" asked Cavil carefully.

"Yes, ever since the alarm went off. She's not answering and neither is D'anna."

"That's because they have them," everyone turned to face Boomer.

The Number Eight was in a tan jumpsuit and looked very angry.

"Come again ?" asked Natalie in surprise.

Boomer stared at them. "Did you not listen to my announcement? I specifically stated that D'anna and Caprica were with the colonials and that they had taken Hera!"

Natalie stared at her. "I only heard from Cavil that colonials had infiltrated the basestar...no one mentioned anything about our sisters being hostages."

Boomer shot Cavil a disgusted look. Trust the old man to hide everything even when such was not needed.

"Who said anything about hostages?! I'm sure Caprica is helping them!"

Natalie's back stiffened. "Be careful what you say Boomer, Caprica would never betray our cause."

"Then why the frak did she shoot me in the head?!" yelled the Number Eight model.

"And this is why I did not say anything about D'anna and Caprica helping the colonials!" shouted Cavil "this division right here is exactly what the colonials wanted.

While we stand here arguing; they are doing only God-knows-what in the basestar. Please bear in mind that we haven't found them yet!"

Boomer glared at him then looked away after a few moments.

"Cavil is right," said Simon " we find them then we ask questions later.

The problem now is how do we track them?"

"I think I know how," everyone looked at the Number One.

"If...and only if Caprica is helping them; then there is only one more place on this basestar they might be interested in."

Aaron frowned. "If it's the flight deck; we have searched that place and there is not sign of..." Cavil raised a hand silencing him.

"I'm talking about Detention Block X12.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

A grey 'centurion' sneaked a peep around the corner then ducked down as a score of grey robots led by one gold robot went past.

"Clear," whispered Ensign Q Junior to the other 'centurions' hiding behind him.

The group of seven had been hiding and sneaking past centurions and cylons; amazingly the enemy had no idea where they were and that was all thanks to Q Junior.

He had quickly explained to Logan and the others that while he was downloading the information he had slipped in a subroutine program which froze the security feed so that they could reach the cell block undetected.

D'anna and Caprica had shared a significant look at his brief explanation; a viral sub-routine was almost identical to how the cylons had brought down the networked-defence system of the 12 Colonies of Kobol.

For the two female cylons; this was one more key piece of evidence that Ensign Q Junior was a cylon.

He certainly thought like one.

"How close are we to the cells?" asked Kara in a low voice. Her centurion form was currently crouched between Logan and Q Junior.

"It's right round the next corner and should be lightly guarded with only 5 centurions at the entrance to the cells," replied Q Junior as he looked at the tricorder part of his phaser rifle.

"Do you have the names of the prisoners and how long they have been with the cylons?" asked Anders in a low tone.

Q Junior shook his head. "No names but their identifications are as prisoner numbers A139 and D617. The first one has been their...guest for 8 years."

Kara and Anders frowned at that bit of news.

"...and the second has been an inmate for the past 4 weeks; 2 days and 39 minutes."

The colonial pilots shared a significant look; that meant the poor soul had been grabbed around the time of the escape from New Caprica.

"Another thing to note," a sound that was a mixture of disgust and horror crept into Q's voice "is that both have been subjected to extensive physical and emotional torture.

Prisoner D617 has just recovered from his last...session."

Caprica felt her face burn as the centurion forms of the two colonials turned to stare at her and the Number Three model. She was pretty sure that if looks could kill; she and D'anna would be cinders by now.

Logan glanced at them for a moment then turned to Q Junior; he could tell the talk of torture had disturbed the young man. "Is there something else we should know about?"

Caprica and D'anna's ears picked up at the tone in the captain's voice.

Q Junior flushed lightly as he answered. "Well...since we were in a rush I was only able to partially disable the inter-com network."

Anders gaped at him. "Come again?"

Q Junior stole a quick look around before answering.

"The inter-com network on the basestar is quite intricate and surprisingly complex.

Humanoid cylons can speak to each other with their cerebral implants."

Kara and Anders shared a quick look. "We knew that."

"Good," continued Q Junior "but also they can relay orders to centurions as well; the lines of communication to cylons and centurions differ so each has to be treated differently.

However since we were pressed for time; I interrupted the link between the centurions around the cell block and the humanoid cylons."

"You're saying Cavil cannot give the kill order directly," said Kara in a surprised tone "what of the interlink between the cylons? Couldn't you destroy that as well?"

D'anna hid a gasp as Caprica went pale; Starbuck noticed their alarmed expressions and smiled knowingly.

"That's significant isn't it?" The glee in her voice was chilling.

Q Junior turned to the female colonial pilot. "I could have disrupted the link but I chose not to. Doing so without preparation might cause untold damage to the cerebral cortex of the cylons linked to communications network."

Anders, Kara, D'anna and Caprica stared at him with expressions of disbelief.

Kara was stunned. Didn't he realize that they were at war and needed every advantage they could get ? He could have used their own network against them and he hadn't?!

Her expression turned to one of annoyance as she prepared to respond with a scathing remark.

"Enough with the techno-babble people; we still have prisoners to spring," interrupted Logan with a growl.

"Then let's get moving," said Laura before quickly stepping out and heading for the next corner.

"Laura wait!" hissed Q Junior in alarm before he followed her.

Logan was heard to curse as he went after his daughter and the ensign.

In her concern for Q; D'anna also tried to move forward but stopped she felt a hard object in her back.

She did not have to turn to see it was the business end of the semi-automatic in Ander's hands.

"Easy does it D'anna; you only move when I say so."

The Number Three did not have to guess what would happen if she disregarded Ander's orders.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Laura was fast as she ran around the corner to face 5 centurions; her blades had barely popped before Q Junior had caught up with her and started shooting rapidly.

5 shots were fired; five centurions fell; each one's chest was practically blown apart. In all it had lasted less than 6 seconds.

But Laura was not pleased.

"Q!"

He stared at her. "Oops, just trying to help Laura."

The female teen mutant almost saw red. "Don't give me that! I know what this is about! I could have taken them!"

Q Junior raised a placating hand. "I know...just watching out for you..."

"Well don't!" hissed Laura.

Before Q Junior could reply he heard Logan's voice; he had come up behind them when they were arguing and saw something the two teens had not acknowledged.

"Kids; you do realize you have an audience."

Both teens turned to see two men in white shapeless tunic and trousers staring at them in shock from behind the bars of two cells.

"I believe we found the prisoners."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

It had happened so fast; one moment there had been 5 centurions guarding the entrance; then another grey tin-can ran in and odd looking blades appeared in the back of its hands.

Before he could register that fully; another grey ran in and did the fastest shooting Daniel Novacek had ever seen in his life.

He could bet it had lasted less than 6 seconds and no shot was wasted but the weapon it had used was nothing the colonial pilot had ever seen before.

He heard Gaius mutter. "Gods in heaven" as he too stood transfixed by the destruction of their five guards.

Then if that was not enough the two remaining grey centurions turned to face each other and started arguing.

In fact they had sounded like children.

_It's official_ thought Daniel _I have finally; after 8 years, well and truly lost my mind._

Somehow the appearance of the third grey centurion did not alarm him; even when it told the two 'odd' tin-cans that they had an audience.

But what occured next almost made Daniel pass out.

The tin-can with the blades touched it's left shoulder and then the image shimmered before changing to that of a young girl with black hair in a ponytail. She was wearing black body armour and her age was probably 13 yrs old or even younger.

And the one with the gun changed to that of 14 or 15yr old male teenager with dark slightly wavy brown hair. He was also in identical body armour.

The one behind them transformed into a muscular built man in the same body armour, with oddly shaped black hair and fierce looking eyes. His age could be around middle 30s.

Daniel was desperately trying to find the words to speak as two more 'centurions' entered the cell with two cylon women he would recognize anywhere.

The three people before him were not alarmed by the presence of the two robots but Daniel thought the whole thing looked odd.

It seemed like D'anna and Caprica were being held at gunpoint.

That was not possible.

"What the frak is going..."

He had barely completed the question when one of the centurions stormed up to the cell that contained Gaius.

The colonial scientist went very pale and walked backwards rapidly.

"I do not frakking believe it!" yelled the centurion in a female voice.

A look of stunned recognition appeared on Gaius' face.

"Lieutenant Thrace...Starbuck is that you..."

The centurion raised it's gun threateningly. "Never, ever say my name again, Mr President!" the voice contained so much venom that Daniel instantly recoiled from the hate in that voice even though it was not aimed at him.

The robot rapidly touched it's left shoulder and the image changed to that of a female blonde with a look of rage on her face.

"You lost the privilege of that the moment you sold us out to the cylons!"

"Lieutenant," asked the man with the odd hair as he approached the livid colonial officer. "Who is this man?"

In the end it was the other 'centurion' who answered once it's image changed to that of a man.

"This is Dr Gaius Baltar, our former president and also one of the worst traitors in our history," said Anders in a controlled voice which somehow held a lot of hate.

Daniel looked at Baltar. He had a resigned expression on his face.

"Please...don't shoot him. I can explain everything..." started Caprica.

Starbuck swung the rifle round rapidly only to find Logan was standing in front of the Number Six cylon model.

"Captain Logan," said Kara Thrace through gritted teeth "move aside now."

Logan walked up to her until the barrel of the gun was pressing against his chest.

Laura tensed. If Kara pressed that trigger; she would be dead before she hit the floor. To hell with the diplomatic consequences.

"No," replied Logan simply.

Kara's hand began to shake. "If I had known that the colonial prisoner we were rescuing was that...snake! I would have left him here to die!"

Logan stared at her for a long moment.

"Lieutenant Thrace; are you emotionally compromised?"

Everyone stared at him as if he had gone mad.

"What?" said a startled Kara. Of everything she had expected...it had not been this.

"You heard me Lieutenant, are you compromised or not?

If that is the case then you are not fit to be part of this mission."

Kara kept staring at him. "I...I am not compromised."

"That's great to hear," there was a trace of sarcasm in Logan's voice "because if you were I would suggest you putting the gun to your head and blowing your brains out."

Anders stared at him in horror but Logan ignored him and continued.

"Because your current approach to the situation at hand is bound to get you and some of us killed on this basestar thus preventing us from completing a mission that would benefit the lives of more than 40,000 colonial refugees.

Or did you forget the real reason we came here ?"

Kara seemed to wilt under his sharp gaze. "You don't understand..."

"Oh I do, believe me I so do," replied Logan , he pointed at Baltar without taking his eyes from the woman in front of him "you blame him and others for what happened on New Caprica and that is to be expected.

He was the leader and he dropped the ball but here is not the place to be judge and jury.

We do not have time for this."

Kara had a haunted look in her eyes as if she had just realized what she had almost done. She slowly lowered her weapon.

"You all agreed to follow my orders...is that not so?" asked Logan as he included Anders in the question. The two colonial officers nodded slowly.

"Glad we've sorted that out," he turned to Laura and Q Junior.

"Get them out of the cells now; it's time we left this place."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Daniel was still trying to figure out what had just happened when the young girl approached his cell door. He opened his mouth to say something when he heard a particular sound.

_Snikt!_

Her blades were once more out as she sliced though the cell door hinges as if they were made of butter.

As the door fell with a clang; Daniel had one word in his mind.

_Cylons?_

But a little voice in his head was stating he was mistaken this time however he found his feet moving backwards until he hit the edge of the bed and sat down abruptly.

This had to be a trick; he could not leave this cell.

The girl called Laura gave him an odd look.

"Eh pops; we've got a problem."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Leoben was in his quarters reading his copy of the Holy Book of Kobol.

Since it had led them to the planet where they had encountered the Thirteenth Tribe it was considered necessary to research each part of it in the hope that the cylons could discover more about Earth.

When the alarm went off; he ignored it, thinking it was another practice drill.

That thinking changed the moment Natalie got in touch with him.

"_Leoben where are you?"_

He frowned at her tone of voice; she sounded upset.

"In my quarters; is something wrong?"

"_What the...? Leoben did you not hear the alarm go off?"_

"Yeah I did; thought it was another drill..."

"_No it's not!"_ replied an exasperated Number Six "_we have intruders on board and they hacked the datastream in the CIC!"_

Leoben felt himself go cold. "That's...that's impossible. I just came from there and I even saw Caprica and D'anna..."

"_Leoben, were they alone?" _interrupted Natalie.

"Eh...no they had about 5 centurions with them and they were heading to the CIC..."

"_Leoben," _began Natalie almost gently and immediately he knew whatever she was going to say next was bad news.

"_Those five centurions...were the infiltrators; two of them are colonial pilots and we think the remaining three are members of the Thirteenth Tribe."_

Leoben did not know when he stood up. "Please tell me you're kidding."

He heard Natalie sigh via his inter-link. "_Get down to the CIC now Leoben; we have an idea of where they may be."_

"An idea?!" asked the shocked male cylon.

"_They did something to the security feed and also disrupted the com-line to some of the centurions...also be aware that one of the colonial pilots is Starbuck."_

Leoben froze. "What?"

"_They are armed and very dangerous...she will not hesitate to kill you."_

The male cylon was already moving towards the door as he grabbed a nearby weapon. "Natalie; don't let Cavil harm her."

"_Leoben, I don't think..."_

"Help me with this Natalie, she must not be harmed," said the male cylon anxiously as he ran out of his quarters.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

"Eh pops; we've got a problem."

Logan turned at the sound of Laura's voice and walked up to her as Q Junior used his techno-skills to disable the electromagnetic lock on the other man's cell.

"What's wrong?"

Laura was still looking at the man who was cowering at the corner of the cell.

"I don't think he wants to escape."

Logan looked at the dark skinned man and recognized a certain look in the man's eyes that Logan had seen in American POWS rescued from Guam.

The man before him was teetering on the edge of insanity.

"Caprica," called Logan loudly without turning round.

A moment passed before the female cylon approached him.

"Who is he and how long has he been with you?"

The cylon glanced into the cell. "Senior Lieutenant Daniel Novacek...he's been our...guest for 8 years."

Kara and Anders stared at her in shock.

"What...how?" began Anders.

"Maybe you should ask your Admiral when you get back," the two colonials looked at D'anna "...that is if you get back."

Logan ignored her as he took a step into the cell.

"Mr Novacek, my name is Logan. I'm not a colonial...I'm from Earth and we're here to take you back to the fleet."

Daniel's lower jaw dropped as he stared at the man in front of him.

A long moment of silence passed before he could speak.

"You're...you're from Earth; you expect me to...believe that?!"

Logan did not sigh or express disappointment; he instead kept calm as he answered. "No; I don't. In fact I would have been concerned if you had.

But the fact remains that this is a rescue...do you want to die fast or slow?"

Daniel's stunned look was replaced by one of puzzlement as Logan changed his tactics.

"What...what do you mean?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

D'anna raised an eyebrow at Logan's questioning.

The man was an enigma that she would like to solve; the few minutes she had spent in his company had impressed her even though she was a hostage.

She still did not think they would get off the basestar alive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Logan answered the senior lieutenant's question.

"You stay and probably you will die slowly if the cylons don't execute you out of spite; you come with us and possibly you might die quickly as we try to get off this basestar.

However there is the slim possibility that we might make it...if I were you and I had nothing to lose...I would take that chance."

Daniel stared at him for a long moment; then he finally noticed the dried blood on Logan's forehead.

This man had already fought to get here and possibly bled as well.

Never in his eight years of imprisonment had the cylons played so cruel a joke; in fact he had thought they had forgotten about him until they dumped Gaius in the cell beside him.

"I'd take it Daniel," the colonial pilot turned to face Gaius who had left his cell and was standing close to the boy with the large rifle "there's no point waiting here to die."

_He's right_ said a certain part of Daniel.

The senior lieutenant nodded and stood up. He slowly left the cell.

"Eh people," everyone turned to face the male teenager "news flash and it ain't pretty. We have a lot of centurions heading this way fast. I think they have guessed where we are."

Logan nodded. They were running out of luck and time. He looked at Caprica.

"You're still our ticket off this ship?" he sounded very suspicious.

The Number Six model hugged herself and nodded quickly. "If I stay; I'm sure to be boxed," she saw the puzzled looked on Logan's face "it's a fate worse than death...believe me."

"Couldn't happen to a much nicer person," said Kara darkly apparently she had recovered from her emotional outburst.

"So how are we getting out of here?" demanded the young female teenager with the blades.

"We need to get to the main flight deck and commandeer a raider," said Caprica, she turned to the boy with the rifle.

"Q; from which directions are the centurions coming?"

Q Junior looked up from his tricorder with a grim look on his face.

"All of them."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Aaron's heart beat rapidly as he walked quickly with the towering centurions.

6 of them were in-front of him while 12 brought up the rear with 6 armed Number Five cylon models.

If Cavil was right; then the infiltrators and their cylons sisters were in the detention block.

He could understand Caprica wanting to rebel because of her ill-conceived affection for that stupid scientist-turned-president but what he could not begin to fathom was D'anna's attitude.

She more than him was almost fanatical about their cause; he could not think of her working with the enemy.

Unless there was a very good reason for her actions.

"_We're approaching the detention block Aaron; Natalie and the other groups are also in position, no sight of the enemy yet so keep your eyes peeled."_

Cavil's voice brought him back to the present.

"Understood," said the Number Five shortly.

They had them surrounded; they had nowhere to go. He just hoped they were sensible enough to surrender, after all a stray bullet could very easily kill the human-cylon hybrid child.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

"Q Junior; what have we got?" asked Logan. He, Laura and Q Junior were at the front.

D'anna and Caprica were behind them with Gaius and Novacek while the couple known as Anders and Thrace were covering their six.

"This is the smallest group of 25 combatants; 18 are centurions and 7 are cylons; once we turn the corner they will be 65 metres away.

We need to move fast because the other groups are converging on this point."

Logan nodded; he could feel the clock ticking, they had to act now.

But first he had to make sure that they approached the centurions properly.

"Listen carefully, we do this as a team," he looked at Q Junior " your job is to take out as many centurions as you can."

He turned to his daughter. "Laura and I will be the mop up crew for the humanoid cylons."

Logan was relieved to see the two teens nod solemnly.

"You cannot risk him for this."

The captain of the Xavier knew who spoke before he turned to glare at D'anna.

The Number Three model refused to back down. "You have no idea how important Q Junior is. Please surrender...no one has to die."

Caprica looked at her sister in shock. "Don't listen to her; she has no idea what Cavil is capable of. We have to get off this ship!"

Logan shared a silent look with Kara Thrace.

"We'll watch them captain," said the female colonial pilot firmly.

Logan nodded silently before turning back to the front.

"Do we do this with the holograms on or off?" asked Q Junior.

"Might as well leave it off," said Laura dryly "l'm certain our true forms will scare the crap out of the cylons."

_Snikt!_

Daughter and father shared a small smile as they popped their claws simultaneously; then without a word, they sprinted forward like a hundred metre Olympic runners.

Q Junior sighed and took off after them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Once the three went round the corner, Kara quickly moved up and cautiously looked around the corner; she had to see what was going on.

Seconds later; her eyes widened with shock as the shooting and the screams began.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

The first moment Aaron knew the enemy had been sighted was when the centurions went into attack mode; their arms transforming into gun barrels.

Aaron had to look around the towering centurions and he saw three humans come round the corner and race towards his group of cylons and centurions.

They were wearing black body armour; but what surprised him was the difference in the ages and the weapon they carried.

He had to blink twice as he saw a young girl who had to be 13yrs old or younger with blades at the back of her hands, beside her was a man in his 30s with oddly shaped black hair with blades identical to the girl's and behind them was a male teenager of maybe 15 years old with a strange looking rifle.

There was no sign of Sharon or the child or the two missing female cylons.

Anyway the three people before him were not going to be alive for long.

"Open fire," said Aaron as he wondered where the cylon-human hybrid child was; then his mind almost went blank with shock when he saw the first bullets hit the chest of the man at the head of the charging trio...and shatter on impact.

_What the frak?! _ Thought Aaron as his mouth shouted something else.

"Keep firing!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

Logan barely felt the bullets hit his chest as he reached the first centurion; a powerful right hand swipe with his adamantium claws and it's head was separated from its shoulders. His left hand followed through with the same motion and another centurion fell as well.

Laura at a run, jumped towards the wall on her right and used both feet to propel her into the crowd of centurions with both arms outstretched; Q Junior on seeing her airborne, slid down to his knees and started taking out centurions from the waist down.

In mid-air; the female teen mutant slashed her arms sideways and the two centurions in her path fell minus their heads ; then she turned a small somersault and was in the midst of humanoid cylons who had been shielded by the centurions.

They barely had time to scream as they all tried to shoot at her at the same time.

Laura grabbed the nearest male cylon and used him as a shield; before long he was dead, his body riddled with bullets. All the cylons had practically emptied their loaded clips into their unfortunate colleague.

She then used the body to ram into the next nearest male cylon who was trying to replace his spent magazine. The heavy dead body falling on him further disrupted the loading of his weapon and as the ammo fell to the floor, he tried to go after it only to be stopped by a searing pain in the left side of his chest.

The Number five model's look of shock was replaced by unseeing eyes as Laura rapidly withdrew her right hand claws from his heart.

She moved her left foot slightly and kicked upwards and sideways.

The foot blade protruded and slit the neck of male cylon who had been standing beside the one Laura had just terminated. There was an arterial spray on blood on the wall as the cylon's body slowly crumbled.

Then Laura's went to her knees as one of the cylons finally loaded his weapon; but he never got to use it because there was a sudden excruciating pain in his abdomen as Laura rammed both hand blades into his middle abdomen, severing his abdominal aorta and causing massive bleeding some of which splashed on her face.

He was dead before he hit the floor.

Laura was already moving on to the next target; she propelled her body upright rapidly as the target tried to bring the gun round to aim at her.

She retracted her blades as she grabbed his head and rapidly turned it 360 degrees, there was an audible crack as the second and third cervical vertebra of the Number Five cylon before her was broken which resulted in the traumatic severing of the spinal cord.

Then Laura felt a blow on the side of her chest; she took a step sideways from the force of the gunshot. She turned just in time to see blades protrude from the chest of a Number Five who was still pointing a gun at her.

The male cylon fell to reveal Logan standing with bloodied blades.

There was now one cylon alive and he was lying on the floor, pinned down by one of the centurions that Logan had decapitated. A weapon lay far away from his right hand.

He was rapidly speaking aloud as if into an invisible comm. device.

"Change ammo to armour piercing Cavil! Change it now..." Laura walked quickly towards him and before Logan could say a word she retracted her claws and backhanded the Number Five.

Aaron's eyes rolled up in his eyes as he descended into darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Q Junior came and stood beside Logan as Laura walked towards a male cylon in the corner.

Taking down the centurions had not been as hard as he expected but he reminded himself not to get cocky; they still had a long way to go.

He took in the grim scene around them and swallowed nervously. He had known what Logan and Laura were capable of; but seeing it in action was another thing entirely.

Q Junior looked up as he heard Laura hitting someone. Instantly he looked at his tricorder and saw that there was a life-sign still near them.

He looked at Laura's bloodied face with a slightly stunned expression on his face.

"He was defenceless," she said in a slightly irritated and hurt voice.

"Ah...okay; you alright? That's a lot of blood," said Q Junior tentatively.

Laura wiped some of the blood away. "Yeah; I'm fine. We've got a problem though," she looked at her father "that one was saying something about armour piercing bullets."

Logan nodded, he had heard as well.

"Get the others."

"Yes captain," said Q Junior as he ran back to get the rest of their team.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

D'anna had never prayed so much in her life for the safety of the male cylon child. Part of her told her to give up as by now he must be dead.

Even one advanced 'rifle' was not enough to withstand the force of 20 centurions and 7 Number Five cylons; who were the most militant and the strongest of the cylon line.

D'anna saw Kara slowly stand up, she was still looking around the corner.

"Hall is secure," said Kara in a slightly awed voice as she backed away from where she had been standing.

Anders heard the odd tone in his wife's voice. "Kara, you okay?"

She never got a chance to answer because someone came around the corner at that point.

"Hey guys, it's clear but we have to move fast," said Q Junior as he turned the corner. D'anna's shock was so great that she thought she was having a heart attack.

How had three of them stopped a force 9 times their number?

"But we think by now the cylons know we have body armour," continued Q Junior oblivious of D'anna's thoughts.

Kara and Anders shared a significant look.

"It will be armour piercing bullets next," said Caprica grimly.

Q Junior nodded solemnly. "We have to leave now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Caprica failed to hide her surprise and dismay at the destruction in the corridor.

While she wanted to escape the basestar...she had not thought it would be this brutal. The brief look she had as they ran down the hall was sure to give her nightmares for a long time.

She glanced quickly at D'anna; the female cylon looked like she already in a nightmare. Baltar and Novacek also had stunned expressions on their faces.

While Anders and Thrace looked grimly pleased by the results.

"Think they will send more after us?" she heard Anders say.

Kara stared at the destruction. "Definitely and they will be more in number."

"Not to talk about the flight deck we are heading to," said Laura. The young girl looked so calm despite the amount of blood on her face and chest.

Caprica was certain that blood did not belong to the female teen; she looked too well to have lost that much and still be moving steadily.

"Heads up people; we're got two groups near us; 1st group is 30 centurions and 12 humanoid cylons 110 metres directly ahead and there is a small group of 30 centurions and 5 cylons who will be coming down a corridor on our left hand side which is 90 metres ahead in less than 4 minutes," announced Q Junior solemnly as he looked at his tricorder.

"Move faster!" yelled Logan, he looked backwards as he popped his claws once more. Laura was running beside him easily matching his speed.

Caprica and the others took one look at his bloodied face and found themselves picking up the pace.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Cavil and the others had picked up Aaron's frenzied message; more importantly, his chilling scream at the end before it was cut off abruptly had obviously unsettled them

They had shared stunned looks before running to the Number Five's last reported position.

What they saw almost made Cavil throw up.

Never had he seen so much carnage; it looked and smelt like a butcher shop in the midst of a pieces of centurions.

"Who or what is capable of this?" muttered Natalie in dismay; Leoben was busy being sick in the corner.

"_Sir."_ Cavil turned to face a gold centurion.

"_Number Five copy, Aaron Doral is alive but unconscious."_

The Number One walked to the unconscious form of his cylon brother; he was pinned under a centurion who had been decapitated.

"Transport him to the medical bay at once."

"_By your command,"_ said the gold centurion before walking away.

Cavil found his hand shook slightly as he changed the ammo clip of his handgun.

"Alert anyone you can reach to instruct the centurions to change to armour piercing bullets," he looked up to see his fellow cylons staring at him with no small amount of fear."

"Move out! They can't be far!" snapped the cylon leader.

Natalie stared at him for a moment before moving on. She had seen his fear and now felt it as well.

What in the name of the One God had come on board their basestar ?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Kara tried peeping round the corner again as Logan, Laura and Q Junior charged the next batch of centurions and cylons.

She had to duck back rapidly as shots flew too close to her head.

"Trying to get yourself killed Starbuck?" asked D'anna dryly as she too tried to take a peep.

"I assure you; resurrection will not bring you back."

Kara ignored her while she tried to look again; so far she had seen Logan and Laura get shot twice but considering the way they were moving, maybe the bullets had not been changed...Kara's mind froze as she saw several centurions rapidly modify their in-built hand guns.

Even from where she was; she knew those barrels were bigger.

"Oh shit!" she yelled as she pulled D'anna down.

Kara heard Q Junior yell a warning as the sound of the gun battle got louder.

The enemy was now using armour piercing bullets.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

The Number Three was shocked when Kara pulled her to the floor and it was just in time because large holes appeared in the wall where D'anna had been sitting against.

She barely had time to absorb the fact that the colonial pilot had saved her life because Anders appeared to be shouting something very important.

"We're got contacts on our rear! Stay low!"

D'anna looked and sure enough behind them was a group of centurions and cylons, they were approximately 60 metres away. A quick head count revealed there were roughly 30 centurions and maybe 6 or 5 Number five cylons who were behind metal soldiers.

The centurions sighted her and Caprica at the same time; they quickly modified their guns to scimitars.

Standard procedure when trying to rescue cylons from the enemy.

Maybe she and Caprica would get out of this alive after all.

Surely the colonials and escaping prisoners knew their best chance at survival was surrendering at once.

The guns that Anders and Kara had could not withstand the onslaught of the centurions.

Then Anders fired the first shot and everyone saw a centurion's head get blown to bits.

D'anna watched her illusion of superiority collapse as Anders remorselessly mowed down the centurions in rapid succession.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Daniel's first thought when he left the cells was that he had made a big mistake; this had to be some sort of trick.

Then 'Captain Logan' and two of his team took on the first group of centurions and cylons. He had not seen the fight but he had definitely stared at the aftermath.

At that point; he began to wonder that maybe _this _ was a real rescue attempt.

Now they were sandwiched between two attacking groups.

Daniel had thought; yeah this was how a real rescue attempt would end up...with him dying in a hail of bullets or being cut down by the scimitar blades of the centurions.

The odd thing was that he welcomed it; he was tired of being a prisoner.

However when Anders started shooting down centurions (who are notoriously hard to bring down); he began to have a glimmer of hope.

He suddenly recalled the weapons the dead Number Fives had and regretted not picking one up.

If they lived through this ; he was not going to make that mistake again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Baltar watched in shock as Anders and Kara stayed on one knee each and continuing firing at the oncoming centurions.

The colonial pilots were destroying them; the centurions kept their scimitars active , probably because they did not want to harm the cylons.

Come to think of it; the scientist had never heard of a centurion harming a cylon.

He glanced at the two female cylons and was shocked to see Caprica was holding D'anna to the floor.

It looked like the Number Three was trying but failing to get up from the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

When D'anna saw Kara and Anders concentrate on the approaching group she had wanted to run in the opposite direction to ensure Q Junior was okay.

She had heard his shout of alarm and was certain the young cylon male had been harmed or worse.

D'anna never got far because Caprica slammed her down to the floor and practically lay on top of her.

"What are you doing?!" yelled D'anna over the gun fire " I need to keep Q safe !"

Caprica grimaced; by the One God her Number Three sister was strong. "You go round that corner and they will kill you as well!"

D'anna tried to answer as a shot went over their heads. Both female cylons covered their heads as debris fell on them.

They looked forward, the two colonials were now crouched very low but still firing.

The enemy was now less than 30 metres away and the male cylons were shooting from behind the centurions. However due to the fact that they could not see their targets clearly; they were shooting blindly over the heads of the centurions.

D'anna and Caprica shared a scared look.

They were definitely between a rock and a very hard place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Q Junior had just shot down one centurion when he saw the grey robots modify their gun barrels. One of them aimed at Laura's back.

The female teen mutant was busy ripping one of the centurions apart and did not notice the change.

"No!" shouted Q Junior as he quickly moved into the line of fire.

The centurion pulled the trigger and there was a very loud report as the several bullets were fired in rapid succession.

Each armour piercing bullet impacted the extra-solid form of Q Junior's holographic form and shattered.

The centurion paused as if it was stunned that the shooting had no effect on the 'human' in-front of it.

"My turn," hissed an irate Q Junior as he pressed the trigger spot on the phaser rifle; a short phase shot blew a wide hole in the chest of the centurion.

Q Junior now turned on the remaining centurions and kept firing; from the corner of his eye he saw Logan take multiple shots in the chest.

His chest armour was penetrated after the first three shots.

The male mutant staggered back; his chest now a mess of blood and flesh.

"Logan!" cried Laura in alarm as she stood over a centurion who had been hewn into two by her claws.

Logan dropped to one knee then looked up; an expression of rage on his face.

"Keep firing!" yelled one of the surviving Number Eight cylons who had been firing from behind the remaining centurions "he's down so concentrate on the others..."her voice trailed off when Logan suddenly stood up and dived towards her.

She had a clear view of the insane light in his eyes and heard his roar as his claws sliced through the centurion in front of her.

Then he was up close and she felt a sharp pain in her chest; she looked down in shock at the claws that had been rammed into the left side of her chest.

As her life-blood began to leave her; she stared up in wonder at the lacerations on his face; they were closing up and appeared to be healing rapidly.

"What...are...you?" said the Number Eight before she died.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Logan retracted his claws quickly and turned to see Q Junior stand in the way of another centurion who was firing towards Laura.

The girl was fighting off two centurions who had approached with scimitars.

Then Logan heard gunfire; it sounded suspiciously like FNP90s.

Kara and company were in trouble.

Logan quickly assessed their current situation as he rapidly dispatched two more cylons who were trying to load their weapons.

They still had approximately 12 hostiles to terminate; Kara needed help now.

"Q!"yelled Logan.

The lad shot another two centurions as he looked up.

"Kara's in trouble! Take Laura with you and help them now!"

Instead of replying Q turned to him with the weapon and shot 5 times in quick succession. It took a few seconds before the captain realized Q was not aiming at him. He looked behind him to see the last 5 centurions down; their heads blown off.

"Yes captain!" said Q Junior before looking at Laura as she finished a cylon who was trying to reload his weapon. She looked up and took off after him without a word.

Logan turned to the remaining enemy; they were four Number Five male cylons who had just reloaded their semi-automatic weapons.

They started firing but Logan had moved faster and they had fired at an empty spot. With adrenaline flowing through his body; Logan's considerable speed was increased and he hit the first Number Five sideways.

The force and mode of attack was enough to snap the male cylon's neck; he was dead before he hit the ground.

Logan moved on to the second male cylon and rammed his claws into his chest. As the body slid to the floor; the remaining two opened fire.

The bullets penetrated and tore the remaining body armour and penetrated the skin and muscles.

This time Logan stood as the bullets impacted against the adamantium frame and shattered.

Both male cylons stared at him in shock after emptying their clips.

They were transfixed by the injuries on his chest.

Injuries that should have killed him; but were now healing at an astonishing rate and even as they stood there; they could see parts of the shattered bullets protrude from the skin on the chest.

As if the healing tissue was pushing the bullet fragments out.

"What the frak...?" began one of the Number Fives in a frightened whisper that was drowned out by Logan's roar as he charged them and rammed his claws into their hearts.

Both male cylons 'died' at almost the same time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Kara felt an odd calm as she kept firing at the approaching enemy.

She could see the bodies of the centurions had slowed the survivors a bit; but they were determined to reach Kara and her small group.

All that stood between the prisoners of war and death was the accuracy of the two colonials firing at the enemy.

The centurions were down to roughly half their number now; but she was more concerned about the cylons firing from behind the grey robots.

Their random shots were getting closer.

Then one of the centurions suddenly had it's chest blown to pieces; exposing a stunned male cylon behind. Anders quickly shot the Number Five in the chest.

Kara didn't blink as Q Junior dropped down beside her on one knee and started delivering centurion head shots with his phaser rifle.

The hologram apparently did not like to waste any shots.

Laura stayed behind the three shooters; her claws out.

The girl was smart enough to know that getting in the way of the three would hamper the accuracy of the three shooters. She was there to watch their six in case more of the enemy passed Logan.

Somehow; she doubted that would happen.

In less than a minute; the hall was filled with silence as the last centurion was stopped at less than 10 feet from their defensive position.

There was now a sizable pile of centurion body parts lying over the bodies of the male cylons.

Laura turned suddenly as she heard approaching footsteps; she relaxed a bit when Logan turned the corner.

Caprica gasped at the state of his chest body armour.

It had been ripped away to reveal a muscular upper torso covered with drying blood. Though the Number Six looked closely she could see no sign of injury on the flawlessly sculptured masculine chest.

Part of her wondered whose blood it was while the other part marvelled at his physique.

Her hold loosened on D'anna who scrambled up quickly and approached Q Junior with a frantic look in her eyes.

She ignored Laura who tensed as if expecting an attack.

"Are you hurt?" she reached out to touch the young boy. Q Junior gave her an alarmed look and stepped back wards, moving closer to the pile of destroyed centurions.

"Eh; I'm okay...why are you...?"

His voice trailed off as he realized D'anna was staring at something over his shoulder.

"No! Don't shoot!" shouted the Number Three as she quickly shoved the startled male teen aside and put her body between Q Junior and the figure rising from the pile of centurions and cylons.

Three shots rang out in rapid succession.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Evan was a Number Five and he had met up with four other male copies as they organized an attack force of 30 centurions.

There was no way the infiltrators would get past them.

He quickly checked each cylon had changed their ammo to armour-piercing rounds; then the group set for the last reported co-ordinates of the intruders.

Less than two minutes into their movement; he got an urgent inter-link message from a Number Eight.

Her group had engaged the enemy just 120metres from the entrance to the flight deck.

Evan quickly made a tactical decision to attack the intruders from the back; hemming them in and preventing any chance of escape.

They had found the rear of the intruders all right; but he had not expected the effect of the weapons they carried.

He watched in horror as centurion after centurion fell; and then it was the turn of his brothers.

Evan had ducked and kept silent as pieces of a centurion fell on him; before going to ground he had seen a young male join the two firing humans.

The weapon the new arrival carried had taken out 10 of the centurions in less than 15 seconds.

When the guns fell silent; Evan tried to quiet his breathing as the enemy looked at the destruction they had wrought.

He had to take out the youngest fighter who could not be more than 14 yrs or at least 15years old. That fighter was the most dangerous as far as he could tell.

Evan waited until the boy stood up and turned his back.

Then the Number Five erupted from the debris; his finger already pressing on the trigger of his handgun.

Evan had clearly not expected D'anna to step in the path of the bullets and each of his shots hit her point blank in the chest.

The Number Five stared at her in shock for a brief moment before he heard a shot and then felt two powerful blows to his chest. He looked at an enraged brown haired man who had been kneeling beside the female blonde during the fire-fight.

Evan looked down at his chest as his knees gave way; the last thing he saw was Caprica and the teenage shooter kneeling beside the body of D'anna.

Then Evan knew nothing more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Q Junior heard D'anna cry out in alarm and he forgot to phase as she shoved him aside roughly. He almost stumbled but he turned in time to see the figure of a male cylon rise from the debris and shoot D'anna in the chest three times.

The cylon appeared stunned by what he had done; but before he could say a word; Anders pulled his hand gun and shot him in the chest twice.

Q Junior dropped to his knees in shock; D'anna was coughing blood as her front shirt showed an enlarging red spot.

The female cylon had been hurt badly.

He automatically pulled out his tricorder and began to scan her chest.

"Shattered sternum; lacerations to the pulmonary veins and also to the arch of the aorta...and a punctured left lung," he shook his head and looked up to a grave Logan who was now standing beside him.

"I can't heal her with this; I will need the medical bay of the Xavier like right now!"

"Don't...worry about me," said the Number Three weakly; she then had to stop speaking as that simple act made her cough up blood.

"Why did you step in–front? There was no need," asked the confused male teenager.

She tried to speak again when the coughing fit stopped. The Number Three reached out to touch Q Junior's face. The worried teen did not move again this time.

"You...you are the future...must keep you and Hera safe."

Q Junior paled as he realized what D'anna was implying. "I..."

But the female cylon had removed her bloodied hand from his cheek and used it to grip Caprica's hand.

"Get them off the basestar...protect the children...Q and Hera.

Only way...we can have peace with...Earth...with our fellow cylons."

Anders and Kara shared a worried look; behind them Daniel and Baltar listened attentively.

There was an odd light in Novacek's eyes at the Number Three's words; he suddenly felt someone was watching him and turned to see Laura was observing him with a cold look in her eyes.

Caprica found herself crying; even though she knew the Three would only be resurrected again.

"I was hoping you would come with us D'anna."

The Number Three smiled weakly; she knew the end was near. "Not this time...I...need to watch Cavil.

Besides I always wanted...new knees..." then she closed her eyes and died.

Logan stared at the body before him.

"We have to go now."

There was no time to mourn the female cylon...especially when she was going to wake up in a few minutes.

Anders replaced the empty clip on his semi-automatic. "Definitely; they are bound to try grenade launchers next time."

Logan nodded as he gently tapped Q Junior on the shoulder.

The poor lad looked a bit shocked and guilty at D'anna's demise.

"Q; where do we go from here?"

Q Junior looked at him for a moment; then blinked for a few moments before looking at the tricorder part of his phaser rifle.

"We're close to the flight deck; but it's got lots of centurions and cylons."

"What's the energy reserve on your phaser like?" asked Logan.

Q Junior checked. "79 percent battery power remaining; ready for a lot more sir."

"I have an idea on how to get to a raider while reducing the risk of another fire-fight," said Caprica firmly as she stood up from the dead body of her cylon sister.

Logan stared at her. "Let's hear it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Oma glanced at the readings; so far so good not a single raider had been seen on the way back to the cylon territory.

"Can't we go any faster?" asked the blonde male colonial pilot beside her.

The female ensign gritted her teeth to refrain from lashing out. Oma was worried and very tense. She so wished she could go faster but she had to remain the current speed of the disguised shuttle so as not to raise any alarms.

"No, we can't" she said as calmly as possible " besides remember what I said about not talking?

We're supposed to be a raider piloted by a centurion; who is not known for conversation...so please keep silent until we get the away team on board!"

Rogers held up two hands in a placating manner and mouthed the word 'sorry'.

Oma took a deep breath which failed to calm her nerves.

She was sorry for lashing out at him but there was a lot riding on this mission.

Oma just prayed they were in time.

Her sensors bleeped ; she and Rogers stared at it at the same time; they were approaching the 'cylon territory'.

Very soon; one of the basestars was visible.

_Here we go._

Thought Oma to herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**Basestar main flight deck...**_

Alina looked around the deck; noting the significant number of centurions present; she watched as more were diverted towards searching the basestar for the intruders.

The Number Six copy found it hard to believe that colonial fighters had actually gotten unto the basestar without being detected.

She had heard rumours that they had entered the CIC and done something to the Hybrid! She was not certain of that last part because the basestar was still functioning even though communications between parts of the ship had been disrupted.

However that was being worked on at the moment.

Alina's thoughts returned to the present when she saw something.

A centurion jogged out of one of the corridors carrying an odd weapon; before Alina could say a word, the centurion pointed the weapon at a part of the ceiling and fired off 3 laser like shots.

The Number Six turned her head rapidly and watched each shot hit a specific area on a very large cooling tube which regulated the temperature the deck.

The shots penetrated the thick insulating cover; sparks flew and large amounts of lethal nitric oxide and cold steam began to vent into the flight deck.

Alina heard cries of alarm ; she turned to the centurion guards beside her as cylons ran from the flight deck.

"Destroy him!" she pointed in the general direction of the 'odd' centurion who had to be an intruder. It's position was now hidden by the mixture of nitric oxide and steam that was filling up the flight deck.

That did not matter to the centurions who began to fire into the haze of steam and nitric oxide smoke.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Logan heard the shots.

"That's the signal, now move!"

The small group ran out into the haze which was now everywhere; they stayed close together behind Caprica.

All except Logan and Laura were holding their breath; as long as they got to the raider quickly, they would be fine.

So they hoped.

Laura tried not to worry about Q Junior; he had to get to the raider on time.

The plan involved him creating the diversion then using the tricorder part of his rifle to locate Logan and the rest of the team so as to join them on the raider.

Laura resisted coughing as the noxious gas entered her lungs and damaged the tissue lining ; her healing factor kicked in as she heard a shot go off close to them.

The female teen heard Anders cry out in pain and alarm as he fell to the floor. Laura looked at where the shot came from; one of the centurions was shooting randomly and had hit them by accident.

But Anders' cry had alerted it to their position; it quickly advanced into the haze and tried to approach their position.

However it came to a complete stop when Laura silently ran towards it, slashed at it's knees then as it's height was shortened she cut it's head off.

Laura turned and now realized she had been cut off from the others; she tried to look through the whitish haze and was suddenly startled when someone grabbed her right shoulder.

Laura tried to slice of the hand and was at first stunned when her blades phased through the hand.

"Hey! I was only trying to help!" said an irritated unharmed Q Junior who materialized out of the smoke.

Laura could not help but smile with relief.

"Come on; we're got a raider to catch!" said Q Junior as he solidified and pulled at her arm.

The female teen followed him without a word.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Logan was beginning to worry when the two teens suddenly materialized from the smoke.

When Anders got shot in the right thigh; he had been sure they had been discovered. Logan and Daniel had carried the injured colonial officer between the two of them as Baltar and Kara kept pace behind them.

It was when they got to the cylon raider that Logan realized Laura was missing.

He began to curse when he realized the girl must have silenced the centurion that had shot Anders. Just as Logan was about to dive back into the smoky haze which still had centurions shooting randomly, the two teens appeared.

"You're on time," said Logan dryly hiding his relief as the two ran up the ramp.

He hit the door switch and it closed quickly.

"Laura, ride as co-pilot with Six; Q help me with Anders. He's been shot."

The boy immediately brought out his tricorder. Daniel had already ripped the lower part of his shirt and was using it as a tourniquet.

The former POW tensed as Q Junior approached him.

"Relax Mr Novacek, I'm not a cylon," said Q Junior with a small smile as he scanned Ander's thigh.

"He's right sir," said Anders to the suspicious former POW "Q Junior is not a cylon; he's a hologram."

Daniel looked at Anders as if he had lost his mind.

Q Junior tried not to sigh as he located the site of bleeding; fortunately the armour piercing bullet wound had been through and through.

It had not hit any major blood vessels but the right femur had a hairline fracture.

He found himself admiring the pilot's pain tolerance.

"Can you fix him?" asked an anxious Kara; she had been keeping an eye on Caprica but when Laura slid into the co-pilot seat, the female pilot decided she could now check on her injured husband.

"I will fix this as much as I can until we get back to the Xavier; but he needs painkillers..."

Anders was already shaking his head. "No; I need to be awake."

Q Junior wanted to argue but he didn't really have time; even though no major blood vessels had been hit the pilot was still bleeding significantly.

"I'll try not to make it hurt." the raptor began to move and he steadied himself as Caprica lifted off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

Caprica did the fastest pre-flight check she had ever done and soon initiated lift off; she ignored the fact that Laura had slid into the seat beside her and was observing her closely.

It took a few seconds before she got an enquiry from whoever was manning the communication sector.

"_Raider Zelta-427; you are not cleared for take off."_

Caprica cleared her throat and answered quickly as she picked up speed.

"This is Natalie of Six; I have received a report that the intruders have already left the basestar. I am in pursuit."

"_But...but I have been monitoring and received no report of such kind!"_ protested the communication officer.

Six sighed. "Well I had to try."

The voice on the other end suddenly became suspicious. _"Who is this?"_

Caprica turned it off and raised her voice.

"Every one! Buckle up! It's about to get turbulent!"

She glanced sideways to see Laura obey her instructions but the female teen kept her eyes on the cylon at all times.

Six shook her head slightly; it was going to take a lot before they trusted her completely.

Frankly she was surprised they were letting her fly them out of the basestar.

Six pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind as she targeted the closed doors of the flight deck.

She fired several shots as she flew at the shattered doors ; there was a significant loud noise as the raider punched through the ruined doors.

Behind her; Kara stared at the head of the female cylon in surprise.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Cavil was getting more concerned; two groups had stated they were about to engage the enemy; but no one had heard a whisper from them for the past 5 minutes.

What the frak was going on?

Cavil stopped suddenly as a frantic Number One communication officer informed him that one of the raiders had suddenly taken off and shot the flight deck doors to pieces before punching through.

Cavil spent precious seconds swearing before he could gather his thoughts.

"Darren; initiate special order 24."

He heard the Number One copy gasp in dismay.

"_But, but we have not completed the tests..."_

"Do it now Darren!" shouted Cavil.

"What the frak is special order 24?" asked a suspicious looking Natalie.

Cavil fought the temptation not to shoot her and answered in a barely civil tone.

"The best chance of us destroying those idiots if the ship of the Thirteenth Tribe is nearby."

"But what of the child?" asked a stunned Leoben "she is still important!"

Cavil glared at him. "Not any longer," then he walked off before anyone could say more.

Leoben and Natalie looked at the other cylons; all including Boomer refused to acknowledge their pleading expressions.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

Logan felt himself pushed back in his seat as Caprica flew them out of the basestar.

"I need co-ordinates if I am to jump this vessel to a safe place," said Kara over her shoulder.

Logan looked at Q Junior and nodded. The male teenager had already done a lot on Ander's injury and the colonial pilot looked much better.

Q Junior stood up and walked up to the cockpit.

"The co-ordinates are..."

His voice was drowned out by sensor warnings; before he could ask what was going on, Caprica started shouting.

"Hold on!" The female cylon suddenly turned the controller sharply right

Q Junior instantly gripped the back of Laura's seat as a force slammed into the left side of the raider.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

5 cylon raiders were bearing down on the escaping Zelta-427; the first shot went wide but the following attacks came closer to the ship thus causing the sudden change in the direction of the single chased raider.

The other raiders commenced firing as soon as they were in range and most shots came quite close as the targeted rogue raider executed death defying turns and glides so as to avoid the deadly shots.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

"Were we hit?!" yelled Kara.

"Not yet from the sound of it!" answered Logan as the craft shook around them. Suddenly electronic panels began to shower sparks as another shot delivered a glancing blow to the raider.

"Can you jump now!?" asked a worried Q Junior.

"No!" shouted Caprica as she tried to keep an eye on her flying. The readouts indicated that the shots were getting nearer and nearer and that more raiders were being deployed from the nearest basestar.

She could not outrun them for long.

It looked like they would have been safer on board the damn basestar !

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**Basestar CIC...**_

Cavil ran into the crowded control information centre; he quickly motioned someone out of the way so that he could observe the DRADIS.

The escaping raider had been outlined in red while the pursuing raiders were blue in colour.

"Can we not just capture them? " asked an out of breath Leoben who had run after the Number One.

Cavil did not turn round. "One more word Conoy and you will be resurrecting shortly...along with D'anna."

The male cylon kept quiet; he knew what that meant.

Before getting to the CIC; they had received reports that D'anna's body had been found. No one was entirely sure on who had shot the female cylon.

Most suspected the intruders had done it.

They just had to wait until she resurrected.

"Why do the raiders keep missing?" asked an irate Number One "I know their targeting system is a lot better than that!"

He looked at Darren who looked very flustered.

"I know that too Cavil; but they keep reporting back that there are cylons on the Zelta-427."

Cavil gave his cylon brother a sharp look.

Natalie frowned. "I thought D'anna and Caprica were the only ones taken by this group...D'anna is currently in the datastream so who else besides Six do they mean?"

"Maybe they mean Sharon," contributed Boomer " she's still a cylon."

"But apart from you; we haven't seen any evidence of Sharon coming on board this basestar; besides the child may be on that ship. We should not kill her," said Natalie.

Cavil felt his hand going to his gun and stopped; it took a lot for him to restrain from shooting the Number Six.

He turned instead to Darren. "Give me the communicator."

His brother handed it to him without another word.

"Initiate program directive obey-without-question-139Z." The order was broadcast to all raiders pursuing the rogue raider.

"What?" asked a suspicious Natalie.

"Destroy Zelta-427," continued Cavil.

"Cavil, what are you doing?!" shouted Leoben; he shut up when the Number One turned and pointed a gun at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Inside one of the raiders; it tried to bring it's guns to bear but was finding it difficult each time to aim properly.

It's sensors were telling it's brain that there were two important cylons inside and that they should not be harmed but at the same time the raider had orders to kill the occupants of the ship.

As the raider's organic and electronic brain struggled with the conflicting orders; a new order came through triggering the recently downloaded directives that a certain Number One had created a few days ago.

"_Initiate program directive obey-without-question-139Z; destroy Zelta-427."_

The raiders single red roving eye began fixed and it proceeded to carry out it's mission.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX  
Anders had the strong urge to be sick as the ship shook uncontrollably again.

"Can't we fire at those frakkers?!"

"Weapons are offline!" shouted Q Junior; he was still standing behind Laura's seat. Somehow he had been able to keep standing; then Anders looked down and saw that the boy's feet had disappeared into the floor.

He was doing that weird 'phasing' thing again.

Anders opened his mouth to ask another question when Caprica cursed loudly.

"What the frak is that raider doing?!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Another raider joined the growing number of cylons craft that were chasing the rogue raider but instead of firing it simply picked up speed until it was level with the targeted the raider.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Cavil looked at the DRADIS screen.

"Who is flying that raider?" he pointed at the blue dot which was now beside the red dot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Caprica tried to move away from the raider as the other kept pace; then something strange started happening.

First she had an odd sound like muffled tiny bells ringing then she looked sideways to see Q Junior and Laura were covered with twirling white light.

Caprica looked down to see it happening to her as well as the raider exploded around her.

Then she was somewhere else that was very strange to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

"Cavil; the raiders' collective sensors are picking up an odd energy pattern from the second raider beside the one we're targeting ," shouted Darren from his own readout.

Cavil suddenly had an idea who may be in the second 'raider'.

"Shoot it down! Shoot it down now!" yelled the Number One into the communicator.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Oma still had the shields down when the side of the shuttle was hit by a glancing shot from an approaching raider.

She bit her lower lip and she concentrated on the transporter; she just had one more person to 'bring over'; she had to do it now before the person's pattern was lost completely.

Then she energized the patterns she had collected from the fleeing raider which was now in pieces.

"Computer resume shields!" she shouted as the ship suffered a second hit.

The sound of transporter working was barely heard as eight figures materialized in the centre of the shaking shuttle.

Five of them she recognized; the other three were complete strangers.

She was stunned when a frightened Kara brought up her weapon to fire.

"Oma! I need your help here," called Rogers without looking back.

After a very quick lesson on the controls; he had been keeping the ship's course steady while Oma tried to beam the crew of the rogue raider on board.

Roger's voice stopped Kara from pressing the trigger

Logan put his hand on the female pilot's gun and lowered it.

"Oma; you still have your centurion form on."

"Oh so sorry about that!" said the female ensign as she quickly shut off the emitter "get seated now please," she turned made her way back to the cockpit and sat down taking the controls from Rogers.

Q Junior quickly sat in another seat with the communications array and sensors.

Laura somehow got Rogers to vacate his current seat; the reason for it was obvious. That station was responsible for tactical and weapons.

Logan looked at Oma and Rogers; he had specifically told one not to come back and the other that this mission did not need him at this point.

And now they were getting their asses saved by the very two he had ordered to stay put.

Talk about the ironies of life.

"Eh Oma; you might want to get us out of here like right now," said a worried Q Junior "because I believe the cylons now know what we really look like."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Cavil was at first speechless when the second 'raider' was hit and changed into a strange looking ship.

It did not look like the Xavier but he was certain it came from it.

He snatched up the communicator again when he noticed the second shot barely hit the shuttle this time. The blasted thing must have shields like it's mother ship.

"Raiders initiate jump attack. I repeat initiate jump attack now!"

Natalie and Leoben shared a worried look; somehow those orders sounded very worrying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Oma looked at the sensor; the one shot that had hit the side of the shuttle when the shields were down had taken the shuttle's warp drive offline and damaged part of the weapons.

"I can't believe this; weapons offline here too?!" asked Laura angrily.

Oma tried not to sign and was about to increase the impulse speed when a sensor went off on Q's station.

"Wait; it's saying a raider is about to appear...within our shields in..." his voice almost trailed off before he began to shout frantically "Oma! Bank hard left now!"

The urgency in his voice had her obeying before her mouth opened to ask the question 'why'.

Suddenly she felt the shuttle shake violently as a raider 'appeared' on the right side of the shuttle and exploded.

Panels exploded and sparks flew in the cockpit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Natalie was standing close to the DRADIS and saw one of the raider execute a 'jump' which stopped very close to the odd ship.

She frowned not believing what she had just seen; it appeared that the raider had tried to jump into the same space the odd ship located.

Then the raider exploded spectacularly...the readings indicated an exceptionally high radiation reading.

What type of nukes had it been carrying?

Other raiders began to copy the first raider.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Oma felt a sense of déjà vu as she used her abilities to stop herself from hitting the controls in front of her.

"Shield status!" she heard herself yell.

"Down to 87 percent! Readings indicate they detonated an anti-matter nuke onboard the raider when they tried to jump into our shields!" yelled Q Junior.

Oma hid her horror at his words.

"I'm picking up more sub-space disturbances! They are going to try this again !

Oma ; move when I tell you, do not hesitate!" said the male ensign anxiously.

Oma barely nodded as Q Junior quickly gave her a direction to move to.

The ship shook violently again as another raider exploded on the left side this time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Cavil watched the view-screen this time; the odd ship was trying to dodge the 'suicidal' cylon raiders. Each time the raiders were getting closer; soon they would eventually succeed.

The Number One always knew that the anti-matter would come in handy one day; maybe this display would finally convince the others of it's importance.

"You're using anti-matter with nukes," muttered Leoben in horror " we took a vote not to use it until we understood it better and you did this without telling us!?"

Cavil sighed, counted to 5 slowly and turned round to face his brother.

"Considering how the Xavier easily blew up one of our basestars; you should see this as a vast improvement in our defence abilities.

Now please keep quiet; before you really piss me off."

Cavil turned back to the view screen before the Number Two could say a word.

Leoben frowned and made to moved forward only for Natalie to touch his arm and shake her head slowly.

The look in her eyes said it all.

Wait.

Leoben joined his fellow cylons on watching the one-sided battle on the view-screen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

Oma lost count of the number of hits they sustained as she tried to avoid the exploding raiders.

"Shields are down to 55 percent!" shouted Laura. She had taking over ship's status while Q Junior concentrated on using the sensors to predict where the raiders jumped from.

Oma bit her lower lip; she was not going to crash or destroy another shuttle; then she realized the impulse speed was reducing.

"Q! Impulse is slowing; I think the last explosion may have damaged the drive!"

"You're right," said Q Junior " but if I stop giving you directions; one of those raiders is going to jump into us!"

"We need a diversion!" said Oma as she noticed a large odd looking cylindrical structure that was close to the centre of the basestars.

Earlier on she had noticed there were only three ships of it in the area.

"Get the weapons online and I'll give you a diversion!" said Laura.

The hologram instead shouted another direction at Oma; she moved the ship quickly and was able to stay further away from two exploding raiders.

"Q; is that cylinder like ship important to the cylons?" asked Oma.

Q stole a look at her. "Yeah; it's a resurrection ship; it's very important to them. Why do you ask?"

Oma felt the ship shake violently as the shockwave of raiders reached them.

"Cause I have an idea," Oma checked and saw the tractor beam was still online she did a quick calculation and then turned the shuttle and began to go after one of the raiders.

"What are you doing?" cried Laura in alarm.

"Trust me!" said Oma as she attached a tractor beam to one raider which was carrying an anti-matter nuke then she turned the ship round quickly and used the tractor beam to sling-shoot the raider towards the cylindrical ship.

Oma cut the beam at the last moment and the raider spun straight for the resurrection ship.

The viewscreen showed the raider spinning uncontrollably as it tried and failed to control it's flight. It ended up hitting one end of the resurrection ship.

The anti-matter nuke on board the raider exploded as the raider impacted with the resurrection ship; within moments the whole structure was catching fire and exploding.

Instantly the raiders that had been attacking almost came to a complete stop.

"There's your diversion!" said Oma as she quickly looked at Q but the hologram was already at work. His arms were phased into the wall of the ship as he frantically tried to fix the warp drive.

"Oh God in heaven," cried Caprica in shock ; her eyes fixed on the viewscreen as the resurrection ship kept exploding.

"What have you done?!"

Beside her Kara and Anders were smiling broadly.

Even if they died; they were going to take a lot of cylons with them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Cavil went numb with shock when one of the resurrection ships exploded.

That was not possible; this could not be happening, he barely registered when Natalie took the communicator and was talking.

"All raider units pull back and defend the remaining resurrection ships now."

Cavil returned to the present and tried to snatch the communicator from her; he was stopped when he saw the weapon she was pointing in his direction.

"You devised a deadly weapon that was just used against us; we will not risk the safety of the remaining resurrection ships because of your need for retribution."

"They will escape," said Cavil bitterly.

"For now; but later we can follow," said Natalie calmly.

On the view-screen the odd ship which had just taken out a resurrection ship suddenly vanished in a flash of light.

Cavil held his hands up and nodded as Natalie slowly lowered her weapon.

"Yes; we will follow...and next time we will succeed."

He looked at his fellow cylons and saw each of them nodding their heads slowly in agreement.

The only ones whose expressions were neutral were Leoben and Natalie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Oma sighed in relief when she saw the familiar view of stars streaking past; they were in warp one. That was a lot better and faster than impulse speed.

"You guys did good," said a familiar male voice "despite two of you disobeying orders." Rogers squirmed as the owner of the voice glanced at him briefly.

The three teenagers in the front of the shuttle looked up to see Logan had silently approached them.

"But without you guys we would be toast; so...well done once again.

Now how long until we get to the Xavier ?"

Laura checked her readings. "In less than 6 minutes at warp one," she glanced at Q Junior.

"Hey ! Be grateful I could fix it to give us at least warp one; push it any further and the warp drive will come off line."

"May I just say that watching the resurrection ship explode was absolutely fr...brilliant!?" said Kara cheerfully as she walked up to the cockpit.

Laura gave Oma a wry grin. "It was her idea; not bad for a rookie."

Oma felt her cheeks redden as she concentrated on her flying.

"Do you realize what you have done?" asked a distraught Caprica.

Anders had his weapon on her and was in no way moved by her distress.

Kara turned to face her with a hard look in her eyes ."Oh yes we do, we completed a mission with outstanding results."

"So...this rescue...is real," those words came from Daniel. He appeared shell shocked. Beside him Baltar was holding his head in his hands; he looked overwhelmed by the harrowing escape.

Both former POWs had watched the resurrection ship explode.

That had been unbelievable.

"Yes sir," said Anders as he respectively answered the senior lieutenant's question "you're safe now."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "I'll reserve that comment until we're back on the Xavier."

"So Ensign Q, do you know how they are tracking the fleet?" asked Kara with a worried look on her face.

Q Junior nodded solemnly. "They are using tracking devices that are embedded in the vipers and raptors that made it off Hera's planet."

"That's not possible..." started Anders then he noticed the uncomfortable look on Caprica's face "you know something about it."

"Yes she does," said Q Junior gravelly "she designed the devices."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

_**The Xavier; medical bay...**_

Jean suddenly found herself blinking.

"Dr Grey...are you alright?" she turned towards Helo's concerned voice.

"Hera; is she...?" she could not trust herself to ask but Helo smiled at her.

"She's well; you both saved her Dr Grey. We cannot thank you enough."

Jean tried to swallow through the lump in her throat. She could not remember anything!

And had Helo just said 'you both saved her '?

"I...I need to see her," said the female doctor as her senses picked up the mind of Sharon and a much younger immature mind of a female child.

Jean approached the small bio-bed to see the baby was sleeping peacefully.

Sharon was gazing at the child in wonder and there was a sheen of tears in her eyes as she looked up at the doctor who had saved their daughter's life.

Dr Grey picked up a tricorder and after hesitating for a second she scanned the child.

The observations were normal; the swollen appendix had been removed and the op-site had been healed with no scar remaining.

_**You truly gave your body over to me for the operation; but you didn't stay to watch!**_ The Phoenix sounded a bit upset.

_You did a great job_ replied Jean.

_**Though I am glad you approve; I would have liked you to have been there.**_

_**Being alone in your head is not fun; do not do that again!**_

Jean was a bit surprised at the Phoenix's attitude.

_Why is it not fun?_

_**You won't understand...not right now.**_

Jean was trying to think of a response when the Phoenix spoke again.

_**And oh Jean ? Xavier's about to tell you something; try not to take it out on him okay?**_

_What are you talking about ?_

Jean had barely completed the thought question when the ship's A.I spoke.

"_Dr Grey, Ensign Kadretti and Ensign Rogers are approaching with the disguised shuttle; the rest of the away team is on board as well as three new guests."_

It took a few moments before Jean realized what the AI had said.

"What!?"

Her angry shout woke up the baby who began to cry.

"I'm so sorry; I'm really sorry," apologized Jean as Helo and Sharon tried to comfort the baby.

"I'll speak to Xavier in the corridor," she quickly walked out before the couple said a word.

In the corridor Jean looked up at the ceiling; she took a deep calming breath before speaking.

"Xavier; how did Oma and Rogers get off this ship?"

"_They used the disguised shuttle Dr Grey."_

Jean tried not to kick herself for her stupid question. "I mean...I specifically stated she should not go and Rogers was not ready for a mission!"

She stopped because she realized she was almost shouting.

"_I'm sorry it has caused you distress Dr Grey but you never did complete the order insisting that she stay._

_And even if you had; you did leave her in charge."_

Jean shook her head. "That's not the point! Why didn't you warn me?"

"_Dr Grey; you had just begun delicate surgery; it did not seem appropriate."_

The doctor rubbed her head and sighed. She laughed softly when she realized she was arguing with an A.I.

"Fine...you did the right thing not calling me at that point; it was delicate surgery," she remembered the Phoenix warning about not taking it out on the A.I. She winced.

"Sorry for yelling at you."

"_No harm done Dr Grey."_

Jean looked a bit surprised at it's answer then shrugged, Q Junior must have programmed it to respond appropriately...still it was a bit uncanny.

"What's their ETA?"

"_They will be here in 2 minutes and 13 seconds."_

"I'll inform Helo and Sharon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

In the end Helo accompanied the doctor down to the shuttle bay while Sharon stayed to watch their daughter.

Jean noticed the extra bounce in the colonial pilot's steps; finding their daughter had changed a lot of things for the couple.

She wondered what kind of mutant ability the child would have; because she certain Hera would have a functioning ability.

As the two entered the shuttle bay; they saw the bay doors were already open for the returning shuttle.

Jean gasped in dismay as she and Helo stared in disbelief at the smaller ship.

It looked like it had gone through a hard fought space battle; part of the outer panels were missing in places and there was significant dents all over the small ship.

A worried Jean extended her senses and could feel three strange minds and also realized that one person had been injured.

The doors opened and the first person out was Rogers. He turned an outstanding red colour when he saw Dr Grey's stern expression.

He was followed by Laura and Anders who still carried his weapon as if he was about to use it. He pointed it at the entrance of the shuttle as three more people came out.

One was a beautiful blonde woman in a blood stained white pant suit; next were two thin men in shapeless white shirts with trouser.

They had a hunted look in their eyes that Jean had seen in some US vets at the military hospital where she had done her orthopaedic posting.

Those vets had been former POWs.

She was so worried about them that she almost forgot to glare at Ensign Kadretti as the female ensign exited the shuttle.

Behind her came Logan and Jean was worried again when she saw the front of his uniform had been ripped away. She walked up to him and touched his chest even though it had dried blood on it.

She knew it was his blood.

"You got hurt," it was not a question.

Logan smiled at her. "We got back okay," he glanced at Oma and Rogers " wouldn't have if not for those two.

However we've got bigger problems."

He looked up. "Xavier?"

"_Welcome back captain; what are your orders?"_

The three new arrivals looked up sharply at the smooth male electronic voice.

Caprica appeared stunned while Baltar was curious and Daniel was very worried.

"Set a course for the colonial fleet at maximum warp; we have to warn them."

"_Understood; arrival with be in 8 hours; 12 minutes and 31 seconds."_

"Warn them about what?" asked a very concerned Helo.

Logan looked at him but it was Kara who answered with a grave expression on her face.

"We found out how they are tracking the fleet and it's a lot worse then we realized."

"Also considering the fact that you just destroyed a resurrection ship, Cavil will be out for blood so yeah; I suggest you hurry," said Caprica sharply.

Helo's eyes widened as he looked at the Six then turned back to Kara.

"You did what?!"

Kara smiled tiredly. "Oh it wasn't me this time; just wait till you hear the rest of it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

**Hi everyone; sorry for the long wait; was really trying to end this chapter at the right place.**

**Hope you all enjoy the story. Thanks so much for all your support and reviews.**

**Please read and enjoy.**

**And this is my longest chapter ever!**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of the Phoenix and The Wolverine.

_**Somewhere in between dimensions...**_

Lady Q folded her arms and frowned.

It was starting again.

Someone or something was interfering with the very fabric of space.

She and the other two Q had realized that whoever or whatever had made the 'wormhole' had done so using what made up the inherent energy matrix of the universe.

Which if utilized properly was a source of limitless energy.

No wonder it had been so hard to 'destroy' the anomaly.

And now if what she felt was any indication of what she suspected; another anomaly was about to appear...soon.

Lady Q sighed in annoyance. She was here alone while the two Qs investigated on their own.

She had to be alert; because she was certain that tackling an anomaly in it's infantile stage was a lot easier then if it was full grown.

"Where and what the hell are you?" muttered Lady Q as she kept searching.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

_**USS Dunkirk; crew's quarters, 0643hrs...**_

Ensign Cassius O'Reilly dressed at normal speed; though most of the ship had been repaired; there were still a few things that needed repair and hence the reason he had only got 4 hours sleep.

However this time he was attending a meeting in the Captain's ready room at 0700hrs before reporting for duty in engineering.

Cassius looked at the mirror and took a deep breath.

"Here it goes," he muttered to himself as he left his quarters in the yellow and black uniform with his PADD in his left hand.

He passed other crew members; they nodded solemnly as expected.

The Nova class ship had a crew of eighty and thus almost everybody knew each other.

Now they were down to seventy nine and there would have been a lot more deaths if Oma had not done what she did.

The male ensign was certain that most if not all of the crew were aware of the sacrifice the female ensign had made for the ship and its crew.

Cassius felt his eyes sting again; he closed them briefly and quickly rubbed them. This was not the time to get emotional; he so envied the control Vulcans had over their emotions.

He could use some of that legendary control right now.

Cassius tried to think of the meeting he was about to attend.

Several hours ago; there had been a ship wide broadcast informing all crew that the USS Prometheus; a Galaxy class ship was going to join them in investigating the appearance and disappearance of the anomaly.

Most of the crew had been surprised and a bit heartened by the news but it had scared Cassius.

He knew who the second in command of that ship was.

Oma's dad was the Commander and his wife was an astro-physicist based on the same ship as him.

He had met them a number of times and thought they were really nice; he got on very well with Oma's dad and her mum was always ready to discuss technical stuff with him.

Now they were coming to the ship where their daughter had served for only 6 months before dying on a scientific expedition in a time of peace.

Cassius was certain they would blame him for not being able to save Oma.

The disturbed young ensign tried to turn his troubled mind to the current situation.

The romulans were still just staring at them over the border; however there was a rumour that one of the romulans had finally contacted the ship.

Why were the romulans still here?

Maybe Starfleet Command knew the real reason for the romulans staying back despite the disappearance of the anomaly; that may be why the three starships were still present.

As for the Klingons; it didn't look like they were going away anytime soon.

Cassius did not mind them; he just hoped the situation did not get any worse.

But he had a funny feeling that matters were going to change soon.

The problem was that he couldn't tell if it was for the better or worse.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

Cassius entered the turbo-lift and was about to close it when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hold the lift!"

The ensign automatically obeyed as a male senior officer quickly walked into the turbolift.

"Thank you Mr O'Reilly," said Lieutenant Commander Klaus Flint "the bridge please".

Cassius could not help but glance nervously at the senior officer.

There were rumours that he had threatened the chief medical officer with bodily harm and thus had been discharged from the medical bay against medical advice.

However; the teleporter appeared well but a closer look at his eyes revealed dark shadows around them.

"Yes sir," said Cassius softly.

There was silence as the two officers stood in the lift; then Flint looked at him.

"How you holding up Mr O'Reilly ?"

Cassius could hardly hide his surprise. "I...I am fine sir; it's good to see you are much better sir."

Flint sighed. "Yes; it is indeed." His tone was solemn and sad.

"I...I wish I had got her out as well Mr O'Reilly. I am sorry I failed."

Cassius found himself blinking in shock.

Was he dreaming? Did Mr Flint just apologize to him?

The universe must be ending

Lieutenant Commander Klaus Flint was known not to be very sociable and usually intimidated a lot of the junior officers and even some of his colleagues.

He was a by-the-book Starfleet Officer ; who also did not seem to have a sense of humour. There was even a rumour that he had been born and grew up on Vulcan ; hence his almost cold attitude.

Shila had once stated that must be a different warm person underneath all that cold exterior. Oma and Cassius had laughed hysterically at this; both of them had clearly doubted that.

"Sir...we all did all we could. You saved the Tal Shiar...if you hadn't we could have been at war with the Romulans."

Flint stared at him for a long time; the look in his eyes could only be described as hunted.

"Thank you for your kind words Mr O'Reilly."

Cassius nodded slowly; he had an idea of what the senior officer was going through.

"No problem sir."

"_The bridge,"_ announced the ship's computer.

Both male officers quietly left the lift and entered the command centre.

Cassius started heading for the captain's ready room and was surprised to see that the senior officer was heading the same way.

The security gave him a wry glance. "It appears we have been summoned to the same meeting."

"It seems so sir," said Cassius a bit nervously.

"I'm sure it's just a standard briefing," said the security officer in a reassuring voice.

Cassius tried to hide his disbelief.

Standard briefing on a ship that was on yellow alert?

Had the security chief forgotten that they had 12 romulan warbirds just over the border?

Had he also forgotten the anomaly that had claimed the life of one of Cassius' closest friends?

Cassius closed his eyes briefly as he tried to control his grief and anger; he was getting upset over nothing.

The senior officer must have picked up on the anxiety Cassius was feeling and was just trying to reassure him.

"Yes sir; it must be that," said Cassius softly as Mr Flint pressed the small device by doors announcing his presence to whoever was already inside.

Both of them heard a distinct voice telling them to enter.

Cassius waited for the senior officer to enter then he followed him in.

The male ensign saw that there were others already present.

To his surprise Commander Shila Atavi was also there; he thought she was still in the medical bay.

Her usual vibrant russet coloured hair and green eyes were dull and lifeless and her green skin had a pallor to it that made her look ill.

But her face looked drawn and for once she was not smiling.

Cassius knew why; from the moment the two ensigns were posted to the ship; they and the science officer had been as thick as thieves.

Shila had made their first scary weeks pleasant and made them feel at home in the science and research vessel.

She must have been told what had occurred and he suspected she was blaming herself as well.

Cassius sent an encouraging smile in her direction and after a brief moment she gave him a weak smile.

The male ensign felt relieved at her response.

He nodded slightly at her and turned to look at the others.

Lieutenant Commander Shran was present, he looked very solemn and thoughtful; the andorian saw Cassius and nodded silently at him.

Also present were Commander Bishop and Chief McIntyre; both men were speaking quietly in a corner of the room.

The engineer already looked irritated; probably just wanted to back in engineering watching over the warp core and the other systems that ensured the Dunkirk operated smoothly.

Cassius looked at the chronometer on the wall; 5 more minutes until the meeting started.

He started up his PADD; he was certain in the next few moments he would be making a lot of notes.

The sound of the door had everyone turning to see Captain Singh walk in.

"You're all here. Excellent; we might as well get started. Please be seated."

Everyone waited until the captain sat down then they followed suit.

Cassius found himself between Shila and Shran while Flint was directly opposite him on the rectangular table.

There was silence for a few moments as Captain Singh looked at each of them.

"I have asked you all to attend this meeting because of what has occurred recently.

Yesterday we lost one of our promising ensigns; Miss Ihuoma Kadretti when her vessel was drawn into the collapsing wormhole."

Cassius tried to ignore the leaden feeling in his stomach and concentrated on the captain's voice.

"However; at approximately 4 hours ago; I received a personal message from Captain E'kalez," the captain paused for a moment before continuing.

"She had received a message from a ship called the Xavier which is currently in an unexplored part of the Alpha Quadrant.

The sender of that message appears to be Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti."

There were gasps of shock as Cassius heard someone say. "What?!"

It was when the captain looked at him that he realized that he had been the one to say it.

"I...I mean sir...how?" asked the male ensign hastily as his heart rate sped up.

Oma was still alive? Please let it be true!

It was at that point that he realized that only Mr Shran, Commander Bishop and Chief McIntyre did not appear shocked by the news.

They had known all this time.

Shila looked stunned and turned round to stare at the andorian who appeared a bit uncomfortable especially when she started glaring at him.

"That is what we are trying to find out ensign," answered Singh gravely.

"If I may ask Captain," started Lieutenant Commander Flint; the security officer was leaning forward with an intent look on his face "how long ago did she send the message and where exactly is she?"

Singh looked at Lieutenant Commander Shran; his tactical officer.

"The message was sent yesterday at 1939hrs to the personal vid-message box of the Kadrettis. However due to the fact that they were on leave on Bajor in the Mhonir regions...it took hours before they could be retrieved and informed of their daughter's apparent demise.

Once they got on board the Prometheus; the ship started making it's way here and the Kadrettis still had not checked their message box until around 0200hrs this morning," the andorian paused clearly aware of everyone watching him closely "after the Captain and her senior officers watched the message they informed Rear Admiral Janeway and us..."

"Ensign Kadretti's location?" interrupted Flint tersely.

"As for the last location of the Xavier; it is 450 light years from the edge of Federation territory and is in an unexplored part of the Alpha Quadrant, " said Shran.

Cassius felt his lower jaw drop in shock at what he was hearing.

Rear Admiral Janeway had been informed ? Oma stuck 450 light years away in an unexplored part of the Alpha Quadrant?! This was unbelievable!

"How did she survive?" asked Shila in a stunned voice " and who did she meet on the other end?"

"Please bear with us...some of your questions will be answered shortly," said Captain Singh.

"The reason I have waited until now to share this sensitive information is because I ordered Mr Bishop, Mr Shran and Chief McIntyre to verify that this message did in fact come from Ensign Kadretti and those co-ordinates and that it is not a forgery," he waited for the words to sink in " there is no greater pain than having one's hopes raised only to have them dashed by deceit."

Cassius found himself nodding slightly.

"And also Mr Flint and Miss Atila; I had not included both of you at first because you were still in the medical bay when we received this message from Captain E'Kalez," said Singh as he looked at the two senior officers meaningfully.

Both male and female Lieutenant Commanders seemed a bit embarrassed at his words.

Cassius now wondered if both of them had left the medical bay against doctors' orders; however there was another thought that was more important to the male ensign.

"So...it's real sir?" asked Cassius unable to hide the hope in his voice.

Singh stared at him for a long moment. "We believe so."

Cassius closed his eyes briefly while he hoped he was not dreaming.

"It's time you watched the message," said Commander Bishop who had been quiet so far.

Singh nodded ; then his second in command pressed a symbol on the conference table.

Everyone turned to the large holo-screen mounted on the wall.

Instantly the screen was filled with a familiar female Starfleet officer in the red and black uniform with the ensign rank.

"_Mum, dad...it's me, Oma. By now you must be in the Mhonir regions..."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

A few minutes later the message was completed and silence reigned in the ready room.

"Questions?" asked Singh.

Flint was the first to jump straight in.

"Have we checked the Starfleet ship registry for the Xavier?"

McIntyre nodded. "Yes; and it exists...built by Q.J; a branch of the Q Corporation and listed as being under Starfleet Special Intelligence Division."

Flint stared at him in disbelief.

The engineer sighed. "Oh; I'm not joking, here...have a look," he passed a PADD to the security officer.

"Intelligence is behind this?" asked Shila with an edge to her voice "they caused the wormhole?"

Cassius stared at her. He had not thought of that.

Singh raised a placating hand. "Let's not jump to conclusions here...I also called the head of Starfleet Intelligence and they have stated repeatedly that they didn't even know the ship existed...and I believe the senior officer I spoke to."

Shila leaned back in her seat but the expression on her face showed she was not totally convinced.

"Sirs...what of Rear Admiral Janeway? What are her thoughts on the matter ?" asked Cassius tentatively.

Singh nodded in approval. "At the moment; all we know is that she is going to discuss this matter with Starfleet Command...until then we have a lot of work to do."

"We need to find out all we can about the crew of the Xavier, especially on it's captain; the chief medical officer and the youngest member of the crew ; a Laura Kinney," said Bishop solemnly.

"I presume you have found something that concerns you," said Flint with narrowed eyes.

The second in command of the Dunkirk nodded. "In a matter of speaking...first of all I compared this picture of Q Junior with the one we have on file of when he was a human while training as a Starfleet cadet on board the Voyager in 2378."

The screen had been split into two; showing two pictures of a human male teenager in two different types of the red and black Starfleet uniform.

The right half of the screen was dated 2378; the young male was in the old uniform of that era while the left half of the screen was dated 2382 showing him in the current red and black Starfleet uniform.

"It doesn't look like he has aged a day in all that time; do bear in mind he was 'born' in 2373.

So though he should be '9 years old'...he has the appearance of a 15 year old human male.

As for the other crew of the Xavier; I have been trying to find out all I can about the Xmen and Xavier's school for the Gifted.

Please note that Earth's history books mention that in the early 21st century; there were a very small number of teaching institutes that had mostly mutants as it's students.

This was due to the relative small population of mutants worldwide at the time and the discrimination they faced in the 21st century.

Xavier's school was targeted more than once in the early 21st century," Bishop pressed a symbol on his PADD and another video began to play.

It seemed to have been filmed from above showing an impressive looking mansion that was surrounded by SWAT cars and Ambulances.

Cassius guessed the era had to be the early 21st century.

Bishop continued. "May 12th 2006 at around 2340hrs ; there were reports of an attack by masked gunmen on the school.

Police and SWAT team arrived an hour later to find no bodies but lots of blood indicating that more than one person had received a mortal wound.

Most of the students were missing and were later found to be hiding 3 days later in a designated safe house that had been created by Professor Charles Xavier; the head of the school."

There was a brief picture showing a distinct looking man in his mid 50s with a bald head and light blue eyes.

Cassius' eyes widened when he saw the man's face.

"That looks like Captain Picard," said Flint in a puzzled tone.

"Yes; the resemblance is uncanny; we are yet to determine if the Captain is related to Professor Xavier.

Anyway, Charles Xavier was a mutant and a telepath; due to an unfortunate incident at a younger age he was paralyzed from the waist down and ended up in a wheel chair," continued Bishop as he changed the picture back to the scene above the school.

"The students stated that they had 5 teachers who taught at the school.

Apart from the Professor; there was Dr Jean Grey who was also the doctor on site," everyone was silent as they saw her picture.

It was clear that the attractive slim brunette was identical to the woman they had just seen in Oma's message.

"Scott Summers aka Cyclops," a picture was shown of a slim young man with a ruby red visor over his eyes.

"Ororo Munroe aka Storm," a picture of a stunning dark skinned woman with shoulder length snow white hair and piercing sea-blue eyes

Cassius nodded. He remembered her; one of the mutants leaders who survived the Eugenics War and also had a key part in it's conclusion.

"And last but certainly not least was a substitute teacher who was more of a defence instructor...his name was Logan but his codename was Wolverine," the last picture was of a powerfully built man with oddly shaped black hair , smoking a cigar as he stood in the front lawn of the school.

"These pictures were surveillance pictures taken by the then Homeland Security Department. The Professor never tried to keep it a secret that the school was for mutants but considering the suspicion mutant abilities caused, the National Security Agency of that time considered the school to be something more of a paramilitary training facility.

So they kept a close eye on it."

Bishop paused. "On the day of the attack; there was only one teacher on site...Logan. Visual reports and videos showed that he fought the attackers thus buying time for the students to escape from the school.

Some of the older students who escaped swore the attackers were 'military and combat trained'...these men were not regular burglars.

By the time the police arrived; they could clearly see evidence of an attack but instead of trying to find the children...they put out a call for all units to apprehend Mr Logan and any students who may be with him as they could be armed and dangerous."

Cassius covered his lower face in shame and anger as the second-in-command continued calmly.

The picture changed to show a helicopter hovering over a sub-urban house surrounded by several police cars.

"At around 0823hrs on May the 13th; police were called to a house in Long Island, New York. Someone had called them stating that 4 dangerous mutants were holding them hostage.

The house belonged to Mr William Robert Drake and Mrs Madeline Beatrice Bass-Drake; they had two sons , seventeen year old Robert 'Bobby' Drake and fifteen year old Anthony Samuel Drake."

Bishop looked at the people around the table. "The four mutants who showed up to the house were Mr Logan, Bobby Drake, Rogue and another boy named Pyro...it was Bobby's younger brother who made the call to the police.

Observe what happened next."

Everyone was silent as they watched the scenes on the screen.

They saw four people run out of the house only to be surrounded by armed policemen pointing their guns at them.

The man in front who had to be Logan raised his arms slowly and even Cassius could see the blades protruding from the back of his hands; then before anyone could blink an officer shot Logan in the head.

Cassius heard Shila gasp; two of the teenagers a girl and a boy went to the floor but the third male teenager stood for a moment then started flinging fireballs left right and centre.

Police cars were hit and erupted in flames while police officers scrambled for safety.

Soon after it started something happened and it looked as if the boy called Pyro was suddenly breathless and was being dragged to the floor by the teenage girl while she somehow also send a freezing blast to put out the fires her male colleague had started.

Then to everyone's astonishment Logan sat up, stretched his neck and stood up.

"I don't believe it," said Shran softly.

No one else spoke; Singh's face was very grim.

Cassius could guess what he was feeling; disgust and anger at the way people had been treated just because they were different.

Bishop started speaking again. "Fortunately; none of the attending police officers were seriously hurt," the 2IC's tone of voice indicated he wished otherwise.

"Logan and the three students left in a jet which arrived shortly after this; however Bobby's father later told the police that the four mutants never threatened them.

In fact they had been asking them for help when the police stormed the Drake home."

"What happened to Anthony Drake?" asked Cassius softly.

Bishop smiled bitterly. "Nothing at first; then he joined an extreme right wing anti-mutant group called 'True Human Nation'...rumour has it that they were wiped out in the Eugenics War.

Good riddance thought Cassius without a shred of remorse; Singh gave him a mild look of disapproval.

The male ensign looked away in embarrassment.

"But back to the matter at hand...this picture we have of Logan fits the current picture we have of the Logan who is currently captain of the Xavier."

A split screen came up showing the current 'Logan' and the 'Logan' of 2006.

There was silence as all studied the two pictures of the male mutant.

"Do you have any more historical documents about this man?" asked Flint.

Bishop shook his head and sighed. "We're working closely with Commander Kadretti of the Prometheus...it was thanks to him that I was able to get this much information. He has a significant amount of historical data about the X-men and mutants of 21st century America.

What we do know is that the last time Logan and Dr Grey were seen was at the Alcatrez Incident of October the 11th ; 2006. Both were proclaimed dead but their bodies were never found."

"Sir...could they really be from that time? That would mean they were brought almost 300 years into the future," said Cassius in astonishment.

Bishop leaned forward. "Ensign; we don't know if they are really members of the X-men; in fact we don't even have any records of Laura Kinney.

They could be clones for all we know.

But what we do know is that they have a Defiant Class ship called the Xavier; they picked up Ensign Kadretti and apparently they are trying to help a refugee fleet of some 42,000 people get to Earth."

"Let's not forget the fact that these refugees believe Earth to be a colony of theirs," added Singh in disbelief "or that they have a cybernectic race chasing them...and who may be a potential enemy of the Federation."

The captain placed both hands on the table. "That is why I have picked all of you; what we need now is more data.

So finding out everything we can about the X-men; the Xavier and the Colonies of Kobol is going to be our top priority."

"Apart from that; what else can we do while we get more intel?" asked Shila with a determined light in her eyes.

Singh looked at her and the others.

"We wait for the Prometheus and then Starfleet Command. Somehow I have a feeling...we might have a long trip ahead of us."

Cassius stared at the captain; did the captain just say what he thought he said?

"Captain; with all due respect..." started Flint with a frown on his face.

Oh great thought Cassius acidly he's going to quote the Starfleet rule book and veto the captain's idea of going after Oma.

"I can't wait to start exploring the Alpha Quadrant."

Cassius was speechless.

Yeah; he definitely had to be dreaming.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

_**Earth; San Francisco ; Starfleet Headquarters, 0850hrs...**_

Rear Admiral Janeway tried not to sigh with annoyance as she waited for the others to arrive.

Ten more minutes until the meeting starts and she was the only one present.

It had been almost 6 hours since her talk with Captain E'Kalez and it was just now that the urgent meeting she had called for was taking place.

Despite the fact that the Federation had technology that could transport people and equipment from one place to another in the blink of an eye; it had taken her at least 4 hours before she was able to contact the minimal amount of senior officials needed for the emergency meeting.

Unbelievable.

6 hours earlier Janeway had directly contacted the office of one of the Admirals who was a member of the Starfleet Tactical Department. She had got a Lieutenant Cameron and she quickly informed him that the communication she had for the Admiral was an SSC 30.

Janeway had been speechless when the Lieutenant who was also a personal assistant had stated that the next available appointment would be in 3 days time.

Then the PA had the nerve to ask, 'would an appointment on that day be appropriate?"

At that point Janeway almost lost her temper.

The unfortunate PA went very pale when he was subjected to Janeway's infamous thousand mile silent stare.

"Or...or I could search for an earlier appointment maybe tomorrow..."

"Lieutenant Cameron; please explain what you understand by Starfleet Security Code 30 ?" asked Janeway coolly.

The lieutenant hesitated before answering.

"Transmission of a communication using SSC 30 indicates an emergency condition involving a planetary disaster or other unspecified emergency.

Use of this code means that the sending station is not able to adequately respond to the emergency and requires immediate help at the scene."

Janeway waited for the Lieutenant to absorb the real meaning of what he just said.

"Now; do you think an SSC 30 can wait 24 hours Lieutenant?" her words were quiet but the underlying edge made the rest of the blood drain from the junior officer's face.

"No, Rear Admiral. I will contact him at once."

"Good," said Janeway coolly before signing off.

Next had been her least favourite department; Starfleet Intelligence.

Surprisingly she got hold of a senior officer almost immediately; the official had listened to her quietly and at the end stated that a Lieutenant Harrison would be with her as soon as possible.

Janeway had been stunned; she had thought it would have been difficult getting them to attend a meeting.

Apparently not; in fact the longer she dwelt on it, the more suspicious she was about Starfleet Intelligence.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that she found them very hard to read.

Must have to do with their training; it was rumoured that most Starfleet officers of that department received gruelling mental and physical training in order to carry out their duties.

Even in the Academy; 60 percent of cadets who applied for the Intelligence Sector washed out in the first year.

Statistics showed that at least 15 percent of the cadets who applied in the beginning eventually graduated from that sector but at times Janeway wondered if it was worth it.

She had seen that department change people she thought she knew; but she was also smart enough to know that Starfleet Intelligence was very necessary.

A certain presence at the door interrupted her thoughts.

Janeway frowned.

Whoever was behind the door had very strong mental shields; she could barely get even a hint of who it could be.

"Enter," she said in a calm voice.

The door slid past to reveal a 6 feet tall slim human male with short dark brown hair with a slight curl at the front. She guessed his age had to be in the late 20s to mid 30s.

He was wearing the blue and black Starfleet uniform of the science division and the rank displayed on it was that of Lieutenant.

The officer scanned the room with his steel-blue eyes as if searching for threats then once he was satisfied he looked at the female Rear-Admiral in the middle of the conference room.

"Rear Admiral Janeway; I'm Lieutenant Benedict .C. Harrison from Starfleet Intelligence."

_Trust them to show up first. _ Thought Janeway.

"They sent only you?" asked the female Rear-Admiral calmly.

Lieutenant Harrison smiled dryly. "Yes ma'am," he paused " is that a problem?"

Janeway narrowed her eyes. His tone was polite and his accent sounded like that of an upper-class Englishman from the Edwardian era; but something about Harrison put her off.

There was a subtle menacing aura around him which could make people step out of his way without them realizing it.

She had expected more than one officer from Intelligence or maybe a senior officer and his or her personal assistant but now she wondered if she had been sent someone more dangerous.

Like an active agent.

His shields were top-notch; the way he assessed the room and her for any signs of a threat meant that Intelligence was taking her message a lot more seriously than she expected.

Which meant they knew something she didn't...then again Intelligence knew and did a lot of things they didn't want anyone else to know about.

"No...it's not a problem," then she looked around the room "however it appears only both of us will be attending this meeting..."

Another sound at the door had both of them turning to it.

This time Janeway felt the slightly nervous mind behind it.

"Enter."

The door slid open again to reveal a young female Trill Starfleet officer who was dressed in the yellow and black operation uniform. She walked up to Janeway and Harrison and saluted.

"Junior Lieutenant Adenia Paks; I'm the engineer sent to set up the holovids for the meeting."

Harrison folded his arms and spoke before Janeway could say a word.

"You're cutting it pretty fine Ms Paks."

The nervous junior officer actually flushed. "I apologize for that sir and ma'am but I just got the message 10 minutes ago from Starfleet Command.

Now ; please if you would excuse me while I set this up," she waited until Janeway nodded then she dashed to the nearest viewscreen.

"Well I guess that explains why I'm the first here," said Harrison dryly.

"Possibly," said Janeway as she tried to control her annoyance.

It seemed like the other two officers invited to this meeting wanted to do this as a video conference.

Janeway hated that; she preferred having people in the room she could talk to, she felt she was able to communicate better that way.

She didn't care if people called her old-fashioned but she felt a video conference in a time of crisis was not acceptable especially when the people you had invited were on the same planet and within the same time zone as you were!

She would have understood if they had been in different galaxies.

Janeway forced herself to return to the matter at end.

"You had a chance to go through the message I sent you?"

Janeway had sent each of the invited departments a copy of Ensign Kadretti's message and also did some research on her own.

Harrison nodded. "Yes; I found it absolutely fascinating."

The Rear Admiral frowned at the dry wit in his voice. She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or actually serious.

"Rear-Admiral Janeway, Lieutenant Harrison; it's all set up."

Both of them turned to face Junior Lieutenant Paks.

"Thank you Ms Paks," said Janeway " we'll call if we have any difficulty."

The engineer nodded as Janeway felt the ensign's relief at an early escape then the female Trill quickly left the room.

Janeway looked at her chronometer. One more minute to go.

"We might as well take our places," Janeway lifted a PADD from the table before her and passed it to Harrison.

He took it without a word.

Before long the two view-screens facing the conference table lit up with the insignia of Starfleet; then few seconds passed before the images of two Admirals appeared in the screens.

On the right screen was Admiral Sato . K. Mckenna; Chief of Starfleet Operations.

Janeway nodded at him with a small smile; he was a tough but fair man and she had a lot of respect for him.

On the left screen was Admiral Carl .D. Winsworth the third; of Starfleet Command.

Janeway tried not to let her dismay show; he was one of those who had openly opposed her promotion to Rear-Admiral.

The odd thing was that Janeway had not wanted it; she had wanted to remain the captain of Voyager and it's crew and do what she loved most.

Exploring the galaxy.

But eventually she accepted the new rank; hoping to help the Federation which had been affected adversely by the two year war with the Dominion.

However she wondered if she wouldn't have been better at staying as a captain on the USS Voyager.

The only consolation she had was that the ship was in Captain Chakotay's safe hands; he would take good care of her.

"Admiral Mckenna and Admiral Winsworth; thanks for attending this meeting at such short notice; with me is Lieutenant Benedict .C. Harrison of Starfleet Intelligence..."

"I had to leave a very important meeting with various ambassadors from Non-Federation planets; this had better be good," said Winsworth belligerently.

Janeway felt a very brief feeling of shock from the Lieutenant beside her before he clamped down on his mental shields.

She continued smoothly with an insincere smile she reserved for insufferable senior officers and diplomats. "I assure you sir that it is very important."

"There's no need to be hasty Carl," said Sato mildly "let's hear her out first."

Janeway drew herself up and began to speak.

"At 1620hrs yesterday the anomaly being investigated at the Romulan-Neutral border destabilized and drew in a shuttle with one of our ensigns on board. Her name is Ihuoma Kadretti.

At 1939hrs; the USS Prometheus received a message from Ensign Kadretti...who had apparently successfully travelled through the evolving wormhole before it collapsed."

Janeway paused; she had sent a copy of Ensign Kadretti's message earlier but she wanted to explain it briefly because she had an odd feeling that one of the Admirals had not taken it seriously.

Admiral Mckenna was holding his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face as he waited for her to continue; while Winsworth looked impatient as always.

"It appears to be that she has been picked up by a Defiant class ship called the 'Xavier' which is currently in an unexplored section of the Alpha Quadrant.

The captain is Logan Howlett; and the rest of the crew are Dr Jean Grey; Laura Kinney and...Q Junior who is a Q or used to be one."

She paused. "Apparently they are also assisting a refugee fleet of some less than 42,000 humans who are fleeing a cybernectic race who destroyed their homeworld...the 12 Colonies of Kobol.

Q Junior and the crew of the Xavier along with Ensign Kadretti have asked for our assistance, considering the connection with the wormhole and the refugee problem...we have a duty to respond."

There was silence at her words for several moments.

Carl narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "What proof do we have that this is not a prank of some sort? If I recall from your previous Voyager logs; Q Junior was notorious for playing these type of pranks."

"The proof Admiral is in the ship building database," said Harrison smoothly "the Xavier is listed as being constructed a little more than 7 months ago under the supervision of QJ of the Q Corporation and...sanctioned by Starfleet Special Intelligence Division and Starfleet Command."

Sato stared at him in disbelief. "You knew about this ship?"

"Just recently Admiral; apparently permission was asked to build it 8 months ago and one of the Admirals in Starfleet Command signed the e-document that was required."

"Who was stupid enough to sign that!?" demanded Winsworth.

Harrison raised both eyebrows before replying carefully. "It was signed by you Admiral Winsworth."

Janeway stared at the shock and then rage on the Admiral's face and almost swore.

This was making matters worse not better!

"It doesn't matter who signed the permission slip! We have a problem here that requires our attention!" said Janeway hurryingly.

"Yes; I agree !," said a red faced Carl Winsworth " Harrison I am ordering your division to do a mandatory audit of all ships _and _ projects in your division.

That permission document must be thoroughly checked to rule out forgery!"

"Already on it Admiral...and the document is definitely authentic," said Harrison in a neutral voice that would have done a Vulcan proud.

He was also smart enough to see that the Admiral was very upset.

"Rear Admiral Janeway is right," said Sato quickly before his colleague exploded " we need to concentrate on the matter at hand." He looked at the female senior officer.

"This sounds very troubling if it's true; but bear in mind that we could be dealing with a Q who are known for playing pranks of a galactic proportions."

Janeway held up a placating hand. "Yes; I know that...but even when they do play pranks...the Qs do it for a very good reason.

Remember when Captain Picard and the Enterprise were flung millions of light years away to encounter the Borg? The Q were trying to warn us to be prepared..."

Carl shot a furious look at her. "We lost too many ships and good officers at Wolf 359 because of Picard ! I don't see how _that_ is evidence of the Q's good intentions!"

Janeway closed her eyes briefly. This was going downhill very fast.

They had lost 39 of 40 starfleet vessels because Starfleet Command had vastly underestimated the ability of the Borg to adapt their weaponry and shields.

Even though Picard had redeemed himself by saving Earth later; there were a number of people who still blamed him for the death and destruction that was the Battle of Wolf 359.

But unfortunately as much as she would love to debate the finer parts of the battle with Admiral Winsworth; this was not the place or the time to do so.

"So what do you suggest we do Admiral Winsworth?" asked Harrison ; his voice had a little edge in it as if he was irritated.

"Do you suggest we ignore this distress call?"

Carl leaned back in his seat and looked at the Starfleet Intelligence Lieutenant closely.

"Lieutenant Harrison...that is your real rank is it?"

Janeway almost gasped at the implied question.

Senior officers in Starfleet Command knew that Intelligence Agents did many jobs and missions that were highly classified and for most of those missions they could not be recommended for.

The rumours Janeway heard as a cadet was that Special agents had two ranks; the one they put on for the public and the second hidden one that acknowledged all the dangerous clandestine missions carried out in the name of the Federation.

As expected; their second secret rank was never mentioned.

"Yes Admiral; it is my real rank," said Harrison calmly.

Winsworth looked at him for a moment longer. " I see; so that is a clear indication that Intelligence did not consider this meeting important enough to send a high ranking officer...which makes me wonder why we're wasting our time here."

Janeway this time felt the anger and astonishment from the man beside her.

Sato frowned at the screen. "I don't think we're wasting our time Carl; I have looked at the message and from the past Voyager vid-reports the young man in Ensign Kadretti's message is identical to the human Q that trained and served for a brief time on Janeway's ship.

If he is powerless again and asking for help...we should help him."

"Why?" demanded Carl "if his parents are so powerful why haven't they done something about his current condition and location?"

"But that is the question isn't it?" said Janeway earnestly "what could have prevented the Q from helping one of their own and the next question is what does it have to do with the appearance and disappearance of a wormhole on the Romulan-Neutral border ?

Something none of us is eager to see being used by the Romulans."

Carl stared at her for several moments. "I'm still not convinced; I say we discuss this with the Joint Chiefs at the end of the week."

Janeway felt her lower jaw drop.

"But...but that's in 5 days time; we need to do something now Admiral."

Carl glared at her. "Fine then get us more proof; until then I will not support any action such as a rescue mission. We do not have the resources to waste chasing spectres!"

His screen went blank leaving a very shocked Janeway and Admiral Mckenna.

Sato looked at Janeway. "I apologize for his attitude."

Janeway tried to swallow her rage. "He's wrong."

Sato sighed wearily. "I feel your rage but please understand that he lost two of his children at Wolf 359...that does not excuse his attitude but maybe it explains it."

Janeway resisted the strong urge to state that Carl Winsworth always directly or indirectly opposed her ideas whenever she attended meetings at Starfleet Command. She did not know what she had done to get on his bad side.

But she was getting tired of his attitude.

"So; we're just going to wait, Admiral?" asked Janeway in a neutral tone.

Sato narrowed his eyes as he stared at her; he was an empath as well and a skilful one if the rumours were true.

Janeway tried to think of calming scenes as the Admiral studied her in silence.

"I'm afraid so Rear Admrial Janeway; please do not attempt to commandeer the Voyager in order to rescue Q Junior.

I am well aware of the fact that you are his 'God-mother' and also had a huge part in his training on board the Voyager so you would have a significant connection with him.

However rushing in before we get more data we can work with could put him and many others at risk.

In fact to put it simply this is not the time to emulate James. T. Kirk.

Do you understand what I'm trying to say Rear Admiral ?"

Janeway tried not to answer through gritted teeth.

"Oh I understand far too well Admiral."

He was indirectly telling her not to do a 'Kirk Manoeuvre'.

In 2285, a certain Admiral known as James Tiberius Kirk had 'stolen' the USS Enterprise from the spacedock and went on to rescue the then rejuvenated amnesic Commander Spock from the Genesis planet.

Kirk had been forgiven for most of the rules and regulations he violated because by doing the above; he had been able to save Earth from a powerful and mysterious probe that had been hell bent on destroying Earth.

The fact that Kirk had literally escaped with his skin and integrity intact and was only punished by being 'demoted' to captain actually enhanced his legendary status.

Thus the way he stole an entire Federation starship from a guarded spacedock was dubbed the 'Kirk Manoeuvre'.

Sato watched Janeway for a few more moments.

"I will try from my end to speed up the meeting but it might take a few days," the Admiral looked at the silent Harrison.

"I expect you to work from your end and maybe get one of the '_obvious' _senior officers to attend the next meeting."

Harrison compressed his lips in a displeased line but answered politely. "I will do what I can Admiral."

Sato nodded. "Fine; good luck everyone...until later."

The image on the screen was replaced with the Starfleet Insignia.

Silence reigned in the room for a while.

"That was not good," said Janeway tiredly.

Harrison glanced at her. "For what it's worth Rear-Admiral; you did your best. Even though it would be fascinating to investigate the existence of the Xavier and it's crew as soon as possible; we still need to get approval from Command before we do anything more."

Janeway stared at him. "What do your superiors think?"

Harrison answered carefully. "They wanted to see what the other divisions thought about the situation."

Janeway folded her arms. "In summary...your team is on the fence."

Harrison smiled dryly. "Not really...it's tricky to explain."

The female Rear- Admiral waited for him to say more; then sighed when she realized he had nothing more to tell her.

"Well; I'm just as curious as you are in the Q Junior's ship" a sudden thought struck her " I hope your '_interest' _doesn't have anything with wanting to take the Xavier apart to see what it's _really _ made of?"

Janeway felt a mild feeling of amusement from the man in-front of her before he clamped down his shields tightly.

Harrison just smiled at her. "We'll keep in touch Rear Admiral." He bowed slightly and left the room.

Janeway stared at the door for several moments after he left.

Starfleet Intelligence wanted the Xavier.

That was pretty obvious from where she was standing.

They believed the ship was real and now they were certain it had been built by a Q.

Who wouldn't want a chance at studying it or taking it apart?

Janeway rubbed her forehead wearily; now she was very worried.

Would Starfleet Intelligence go after the ship without telling anyone ?

"I have to get to Q Junior first," muttered Janeway to herself.

"Feeling up to a Kirk Manoeuvre?"

Janeway recognised the voice before turning round to stare in shock at the owner of a voice she could never forget.

Sitting in one of the high back chairs was a very familiar male who was dressed in the red and black uniform of a Starfleet Admiral.

"Missed me?" asked the insufferable individual known as Q.

"You!" hissed Janeway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

The Q are a seemingly omnipotent and immortal species who form the Q Continuum, they possess the ability of instantaneous matter-energy transformation and teleportation, as well as the ability of time travel.

The Q have power over space, matter and time.

But to Janeway; this particular Q in front of her was a pain in the arse.

"What have you done now?!"

The male Q pouted as he folded his arms.

"Oh dear Janeway; is that anyway to welcome an old friend? For a moment; I thought you had missed me!"

The female Rear Admiral glared at him. "Q! What sort of trouble has Junior gotten into again? I thought you promised to watch over him!"

Q leaned back in his seat. "Oh that; well...it's your fault that he's in trouble."

Janeway was speechless for a long moment. "My fault!?"

Q nodded. "Oh yeah; it's your fault alright. It was not 'moi' who influenced him to the point where he actually tried to intervene more than he should and thus get into trouble."

Janeway rubbed her forehead. "Wait...you're not making sense; how can helping people get Q Junior into trouble?"

Q senior looked at her in mock horror. "Could it be that the great Janeway has actually forgotten about the Prime Directive?

Mon dieu! Starfleet is certainly...becoming more interesting."

Janeway sighed. "Q, please; tell me what happened?"

Q stared at her as he leaned back and placed his forearms on the hand rests of the chair.

"Where exactly would you like me to start ? If it's from the very beginning we are going to be here a very long time..."

"Why did Q Junior build the Xavier?" cut in Janeway impatiently.

Q gave her a shark's grin. "Now you're asking the right question."

He stood up and slowly approached the female senior officer.

"You see; one day, Q Junior decided he wanted to help a certain group of people who had been too stupid and blind to realize that they were heading down the path to oblivion.

We the Q, tried three times to help 'this group' in the distant past and three times they ignored us; so we decided that they should reap what they had sown."

Janeway stared at him. "Are you talking about the 12 Colonies of Kobol?"

Q seemed a bit impressed by her deduction. "Perhaps, anyway as I was saying, three times were we ignored so we decided no more.

But then comes along a very smart Junior Q who decides to help them indirectly by aiding 3 mutants from your distant past."

Janeway did not have to ask if he meant Logan, Dr Grey and the third girl called Laura Kinney. She was yet to see the girl's picture.

Q senior spread his hands. "So here we are; Q Junior has with the help of the Xavier and it's crew, managed to find the refugees of the 12 Colonies.

My son has managed to contact Starfleet Command asking for assistance _that _ his parents are not allowed to provide and even though he has a serial number and is _still_ an enlisted member of Starfleet...it appears that he will not receive the _Starfleet _help he asked for!"

Q senior sounded calm throughout but Janeway thought she detected a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"You could have helped me convince the Admirals if you had appeared a few minutes earlier," said the female Rear Admiral.

Q sighed. "Oh Kathryn, what's the challenge in that? Haven't you realized how it works now?

Just like you have rules against intervention, so do we.

Besides; it was so much fun watching you get all flustered and enraged when Admiral 'Dumb' Winsworth practically shut you down."

Janeway tried not to rub her forehead as she felt a migraine coming on.

"Look; I want to help Q Junior and I intend to..."

"How?" demanded Q "if it's a Kirk Manoeuvre you need I am happy to provide one..."

"I'm not asking for that," started Janeway in an irritated tone then a sudden thought struck her " wait...why are you so eager to help me get to Q Junior?

Why aren't you allowed to help him and why do I get the impression that there is something equally important you do not want to tell me about?"

Q senior smiled. "I haven't the foggiest idea of what you're talking about."

Janeway's eyes narrowed. "I'm missing something here.

You have talked about the Colonies; about Q Junior and the crew of the Xavier and about the obvious fact that you can't approach your own son...but you have neglected to mention the disappearing wormhole that was at the Romulan-Neutral Border."

Q senior clapped his hands slowly. "And for that you get a copper star, which is really a massive accolade coming from one such as myself..."

"Cut the chitchat Q; what has the wormhole got to do with this entire...situation ?" cut in Janeway. She had been about to use the word 'mess' but at the last moment she changed the word to 'situation'.

Q senior smirked at her. "Why that is what the Q are trying to determine at the moment."

Janeway looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Determine...did you make the wormhole? Surely you must have realized how much trouble that would bring to the Alpha Quadrant..."

"What makes you think we created it ?" interrupted Q senior calmly.

Janeway was stunned for a few moments. "If not you; then who...?"

"We don't know who did Kathryn...that's why we closed it," interrupted Q again.

This time the female Rear Admiral was speechless; she could tell from the rare solemn expression on the Q's face before her that the 'situation' was more serious that she realized.

"You... don't know who created it ? But you closed the wormhole !"

Q senior nodded. "It wasn't easy believe me; it took three of us and by the end of it each of us had felt as if we had just fought in the Q Civil war.

Do you remember what happened to the very fabric of space during that war in 2378?"

Kathryn nodded shakily. Her ship had still been in the Delta Quadrant and had witnessed spatial anomalies that almost destroyed entire galaxies and endangered her vessel as well.

Q senior nodded back when he saw the realization dawn on her face.

"Though I'm concerned about Q Junior; trust me when I state that his intervention skills are the least of my problems right now."

Q walked away from her as if giving her space to breathe and think.

"How can we help?" asked Kathryn when she could finally think.

"There is absolutely nothing you can do about the wormhole; leave that to us," said Q calmly with a finality that the female officer found chilling.

"What about Q Junior?" asked Kathryn.

Q senior raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

The female Starfleet officer raised a hand. "You misunderstood me; why has he been de-powered and made into a sentient hologram ?

Also why can't you approach him?"

Q sighed. "I was wondering when you would get around to that...why don't I leave that for him to explain when you eventually get to talk to him?"

Kathryn stared at Q. "You're not going to tell me now..."

"No, I'm not," interrupted Q " because both you and I are late for our respective appointments so I suggest we both get moving." He held up his right hand to snap his fingers.

"Wait!" shouted Janeway but she was too late.

Q had already snapped his fingers and the last thing Janeway saw was him disappearing in a flash of light.

Just before she disappeared as well in the same way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX

_**Transporter room 1, the USS Dunkirk...**_

Captain Singh waited patiently as four columns of light materialized on the transporter platform.

In mere seconds the lights solidified into the forms of Captain E'kalez and her second in command Commander Trey Kadretti.

Beside the commander was Dr Nadia Kadretti and beside her was chief of security Lieutenant Commander Brian Demarce.

Singh moved closer as the four descended from the platform.

He had attended Starfleet Academy with Brenia and Trey; they had been friends and he had been relieved when they survived the Dominion War.

So many of their colleagues had not been that lucky.

Singh only wished he was meeting the two senior officers under happier circumstances.

"Captain E'Kalez, Commander Kadretti, Dr Kadretti and Commander Demarce, welcome to the Dunkirk."

Brenia's smile lit up her red attractive features. "Thank you for having us Captain Singh," she looked at Commander Bishop who towered over the captain of the Dunkirk.

"Commander Bishop; it's good to see you as well."

"Likewise captain," said the second in command of science vessel with a smile on his face " please come this way."

Singh and Brenia walked ahead while the two commanders dropped back to chat. Nadia and Brian followed silently after exchanging pleasantries with Bishop.

"How are the Klingons and Romulans doing?" asked Brenia casually.

"For now they are both behaving; the IKS Y'tem has been fully repaired and by the by the Captain wishes to pay his respects to Commander Kadretti and Dr Kadretti," said Singh.

Brenia gave him a quizzical look.

Singh glanced back and could see his second in command was deep in conversation with Commander Kadretti.

"I'm not sure why; but I think he was...interested in our missing ensign," said the captain of the Dunkirk in a low voice.

Brenia smiled dryly. "Nadia will rip his head off."

Singh grimaced. "My thoughts exactly; please try to reason with her. I don't wish to start a war with the Klingons today or any other day."

"Will do my best Terence," said Brenia in a soft voice.

The small group continued towards the bridge as they passed crew who were going about their duties; they stood aside respectively as the two captains walked side by side.

"Also the Tal Shiar known as Major Nveid Solius wishes to speak to you and the Kadrettis."

Brenia gave her friend a sharp look. "We won't be going to his ship."

Singh sensed her agitation and lifted a placating hand. "I wouldn't even dream of it...I have not told them or the Klingons about our recent intel.

And I certainly don't intend to if it is not necessary."

Brenia smiled gratefully. "Thanks Terence; my XO will be relieved to hear that."

They had now reached the bridge.

Singh nodded. "After you captain E'kalez."

She nodded her thanks and walked in-front of him.

Most of the people on the bridge looked up and stood when she entered.

"As you were," said Singh calmly. The bridge crew returned to their duties.

Brenia looked around and saw a young male ensign in the yellow and black operation-uniform was manning the helm; beside him was a male Trill who was in a red and black Lieutenant Commander uniform.

Brenia turned to stare at the view-screen. It showed the romulan warbirds ; the klingon bird of prey and the emptiness of space.

"There has been no sign of the anomaly ?" the question not surprisingly came from Dr Nadia Kadretti.

Singh answered. "None since yesterday Dr Kadretti," he saw her face fall "but it may be too early to tell."

Commander Kadretti's face was grave as he also stared at the view-screen.

Singh shared a silent look with his Mr Bishop who nodded slightly.

"Maybe; we should continue this meeting in my ready room..."

Singh had barely completed the sentence when there were two bright flashes of light right in front of the command chair.

"What the..." began the captain as he turned to see what had materialized on the bridge; he felt his lower jaw drop when he saw the two people who had appeared out of thin air.

There were loud murmurs of alarm as everyone on the bridge turned to stare.

"Security to the bridge!" yelled Lieutenant Commander Flint who was already at his station.

Singh was still trying to find the words to speak when an equally shocked E'Kalez said the question that was in everyone's minds.

"Rear Admiral Janeway? Is...is that you?" then she turned to the smug looking man in an Admiral's uniform beside the legendary Janeway.

"Who is this?"

The woman who looked identical to Janeway opened her mouth to reply but the strange man answered first.

"Q's the name; Admiral is my rank and right now my ten o'clock appointment is here," he pointed at the screen as he spoke.

That was when the Trill at the helm noticed something odd on his sensors.

"Captain...the anomaly is back!"

Everyone including the woman who looked like Janeway turned towards the screen.

Just in time to see a significant sized spatial anomaly appear in the viewscreen.

"The wormhole..." gasped Nadia with a look of joy on her face.

"Not for much longer!" announced Q gleefully as several security personnel appeared on the bridge with phasers drawn.

"Hmm; me thinks you need someone else here to see this," Q snapped his fingers again and a stunned tall man dressed in a blue and black Starfleet uniform with the rank of a Lieutenant appeared right next to Janeway.

Q pointed both arms at the officer as if he was introducing a circus act. "Lieutenant Benedict. C. Harrrison, at yyyyyyour service! Now I really have to go." The Q held up his right hand to snap his fingers.

"You can't leave!" said Singh quickly.

Q raised an eyebrow as he was surrounded by Starfleet security.

"Just watch me," he drawled as he snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash of light.

Everyone apart from Janeway looked shocked at his disappearance.

She looked exasperated.

"Security; secure the two intruders..." ordered Singh.

The woman in the Rear-Admiral Starfleet uniform held up a hand. "I know this looks odd; but I am Rear-Admiral Kathryn Janeway and this man beside me is Lieutenant Benedict .C. Harrison of Starfleet Intelligence..."

"And I think we all need to concentrate on the view-screen right now," interrupted Mr Harrison; it looked as if he had got over his shock of being 'transported' to the Dunkirk but was now staring at the view-screen with an obvious look of disbelief on his face.

Something in his voice made everyone concentrate on the viewscreen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Major Solius listened as the captain of the Vigilance ordered all ships to pull back. Nalah Mas stood silently beside him.

He could tell from her body language that she was worried about the re-appearance of the worm-hole.

Good; it looked like she might have a healthy fear of the unknown.

Maybe he could work with her after all.

Solius looked at the sensors; the dimensions of the anomaly were identical to the first evolving wormhole.

It also looked like the Starfleet vessels were keeping a safe distance.

Something told him that they won't be sending a shuttle to investigate the anomaly anytime soon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

_**IKS Y'tem; the bridge...**_

Karath stood up slowly from his seat as the anomaly appeared on the view-screen; somehow he was not surprised it was back.

Someone had created this thing and was determined to reach this part of space.

There was only one thought ringing through his mind.

War was on the other side of that worm-hole.

He felt his heart rate pick up; it looked like the IKS Y'tem was going to be on the frontlines again.

It was a good time to be alive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Lady Q studied the threads that held the wormhole in place.

She had waited for it to form because instinct told her striking too quickly and without preparation would worsen matters.

Mere seconds passed before she felt her husband by her side.

"About time you showed up darling."

Q senior nodded; for once his countenance was serious. "What have you got dearest?"

Lady Q gently traced the lines that linked the anomaly to the fabric of the universe.

"These space-ley lines have to be severed in sequence and delicately; I have detected a pattern that might actually improve our chances of tracing whoever is behind this."

"If we're shutting it down; I suggest we do it now," said General Q as he flashed into existence on the other side of Lady Q.

"Glad you could make it back old man," said Q dryly.

"Well? Let's get on with it," said General Q impatiently as he stretched forth his right hand.

"Ah, ah wait!" said Lady Q quickly "remember what happened last time? We do this on my mark."

She waited until both male Q nodded. "Now, on the count of three...one, two, three..."

All three Q plunged their hands into the network of space-ley lines and began to unravel it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

"Sound the yellow alert; Mr Flint," Singh turned to the viewscreen "Mr O'Reilly; what is our proximity to the anomaly?" asked Captain Singh in a calm tone as the yellow alert klaxon wailed throughout the ship.

"185,000 metres; the other ships have maintained the same distance as us," said the Lieutenant Commander.

Rear Admiral Janeway and Mr Harrison were still on the bridge; somehow Singh was sure they were who they said they were. He could tell Janeway was a empath ; as for the Starfleet Intelligence officer, his mental shields were so good that he had to be from that branch of Starfleet.

However the security team kept them surrounded but so far no one was pointing weapons at them.

"Magnify the viewscreen and prepare a probe," he felt Flint turn to look at him in surprise" we might need it if it..."

"Captain!" called Ensign O'Reilly in alarm "it's destabilizing!

Everyone's attention was riveted to the screen; there was a sudden flash of light in the centre of the huge swirling mass and huge whitish lightening shaped tentacles erupted from the centre.

Singh knew that they were at a safe distance but the sight still sent chills down his spine.

"What the devil is going on?" he heard Harrison mutter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXX

The anomaly heaved and buckled like a wild horse trying to unseat it's rider; it switched between being a wormhole to being a black hole.

It seemed to be struggling and fighting to stay alive; then all of a sudden it disappeared suddenly.

It was as if it had never existed.

The whole phenomenon had lasted exactly 3.24 minutes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

The bridge of the Dunkirk was silent as everyone stared at the area of space where the anomaly had been.

"Where did it go?" asked Nadia in despair.

There was a flash of light and the male Q appeared in the captain's seat.

All those close to him moved away quickly.

The reason was clearly obvious; he was still dressed in the Admiral's uniform but there appeared to be steam rising from his clothes as if he had just put out a fire and his hair was wet and plastered to his scalp.

"Oh don't be alarmed; it's just a side effect of battling with a blasted anomaly that shouldn't have been here in the first place."

Janeway approached him warily. He sounded exhausted and irritated.

That was not a good sign.

"Why did you close it?" demanded Commander Kadretti before anyone else could say a word.

Q turned round slowly and stared at him and Nadia. "Ah; the worried parental units."

He snapped his fingers and disappeared from the seat but appeared right in front of the second in command of the USS Prometheus.

"I must admit; that is an excellent question...why don't you answer it?" said Q senior calmly as steam continued to rise from his clothes.

Trey looked as if he was about to explode. "My daughter is on the other side of that wormhole..."

"And so is my son!" yelled Q senior to the shock of everyone. Then he sighed as everyone stared at him. He tapped the stunned XO lightly on the shoulders and smiled tiredly at him.

"Sorry for yelling at you...it's been a hard day at the office," he turned to Janeway "you're on your own from this point on...don't be late."

Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Silence reigned as everyone tried to absorb what had just happened.

"Eh captain," called Ensign O'Reilly nervously.

Singh looked at him.

"The Vigilance and the IKS Y'tem are hailing us."

"It might be best if we get checked out by your medical team while you answer the hail, Captain Singh," said Harrison politely.

Singh nodded after a few moments. "Good idea; Mr Flint will take Rear Admiral Janeway and you to the medical bay. I will be along shortly."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Singh walked to the medical bay; he had left Brenia and her team in the ready room after he discussed briefly with Major Solius and Captain Karath.

He had listened to their valid concerns and assured them he was looking into the sudden appearance and disappearance of anomaly.

Solius seemed a bit worried.

Karath on the other end seemed quite eager for a confrontation.

Singh shook his head; after how he had seen the male Q lose his temper on the bridge ; he was not eager to meet whatever had given the seemingly omnipotent Q a hard time.

Singh had never met a Q before and he had hoped never to meet one.

But now that they were involved with more than one Q; it was not what he had expected.

When Q had yelled at Commander Kadretti; for a brief second Singh had felt a split moment of extreme anger and fear from the being in front of him.

Then it simply wasn't there anymore but that moment had scared Singh a lot.

He could not help but wonder what or who could frighten a Q.

With those thoughts on his mind; Singh reached the medical bay.

He headed for the bio-bed that was guarded by two security personnel.

On entering he saw that Janeway was sitting on the bio-bed; Lieutenant Harrison was standing by her bedside as if he was on guard.

Singh took a moment to observe the Starfleet Intelligence officer. He had turned the moment the captain entered the medical bay; Singh extended his senses and could 'feel' the strong shields that the man had placed on his feelings.

Harrison was not an empath but he had to be a mutant.

Dr Zaria Tsoran turned as he approached them; the petite female Haliian picked up Singh's silent enquiry and spoke when he nodded at her.

"This is Rear Admiral Janeway; her cellular profile is identical to what is contained in the Starfleet Genetic Database and her quantum signature resonates with this dimension and he is also Lieutenant Benedict . C. Harrison; also from this dimension. They are both healthy and eager to speak to you."

"Thank you Dr Tsoran," said Singh with a smile; the Haliian nodded and left; Singh noticed Harrison watch her walk away with an appreciative almost predatory smile on his face.

Singh's eyes narrowed; then he forced himself to relax.

Zaria was more than capable of taking care of herself; if she could handle Flint and make him stay in the medical bay as long as he had ; then she could handle any Starfleet Intelligence officer.

Even if he was an active agent.

"I apologize for the delay Rear-Admiral Janeway and Lieutenant Harrison."

Janeway waved her right hand to indicate she was not upset. " Nothing to worry about; having us checked is standard protocol.

Anything happen while we were still here?"

Singh shook his head. "It would be best if we discussed this in the ready room."

Harrison and Janeway shared a silent look and followed Captain Singh out of the medical bay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**Captain's ready room...**_

Everyone stood up respectively when Rear Admiral Janeway and Lieutenant Harrison entered the conference room with captain Singh

Immediately she felt their collective respect and anxiety.

"Please be seated everyone," said Janeway as she took her seat.

Singh and Harrison sat shortly afterwards and everyone followed suit.

Janeway looked at the occupants of the room; she recognized only a few of them. She glanced at Captain Singh who started the introductions.

Captain Brenia E'kalez; her second-in-command, Commander Kadretti; his wife Dr Nadia Kadretti and the chief of security of the Prometheus, Lieutenant Commander Demarce.

Next Singh introduced the three other officers attending the meeting.

Tactical officer Lieutenant Commander Telev Shran.

Second in command on the Dunkirk, Commander Caleb Bishop and chief of security Lieutenant Commander Klaus Flint.

Janeway nodded her head at each of them and was not surprised when everyone turned to look at her and the Stafleet Intelligence Lieutenant beside her.

"I'm certain you all have questions. I will start from what happened this morning at the meeting with two senior officers from Starfleet Command."

Janeway went on to tell them briefly what had happened.

As to be expected the fact that Starfleet Command was not ready to act now was met with murmurs of shock and barely suppressed anger.

"However with all due respect Captain Singh, I think Starfleet Command needs to think about going in search of the last co-ordinates of the Xavier as soon as possible," said Janeway. Her words made every one stare at her.

There was a glimmer of hope on Nadia Kadretti's face.

"But Starfleet Command is yet to agree on that," said Harrison in a neutral tone.

Nadia glared at him openly.

Janeway turned to him. "Mr Harrison; have you ever encountered a Q before?"

He looked at her for a long moment. "No, I haven't had the pleasure."

Janeway raised an eyebrow. "Well I have; more times than I liked.

But I have _'never'_,"she put emphasis on the word "ever seen a Q get this upset and that is worrying."

The Rear Admiral looked around to include everyone. "This Q we just saw is billions of years old... that is what he has claimed and I am inclined to believe him.

However being a father for the past 9 years is a very new experience for him.

Something has happened that may have resulted in Q Junior losing his powers and for some inexplicable reason...his parents cannot help him or approach him."

Silence reigned and Janeway shared a silent look with the Kadrettis.

Somehow she was certain they had recognised that Q's outburst had been that of a scared parent.

"Rear Admiral Janeway; if you are asking for volunteers...we are ready to leave right away," said Captain Singh calmly.

Janeway looked at him "You risk earning the ire of certain senior officers in Starfleet Command Captain Singh."

The captain of the Dunkirk smiled at her. "With all due respect ma'am; that's the least of my concerns."

Brenia looked at him and nodded with a small smile on her face.

"My ship would be only too glad to accompany you Captain Singh," said the captain of the Prometheus.

Janeway hid a smile; she had suspected the winged captain of the Prometheus already had plans to go after Ensign Kadretti and the Xavier.

Harrison frowned. "Since you're all intent on disobeying orders, may I suggest we try some damage control by informing my superior officer and some members of Command of what happened just a few minutes ago?"

"Why should we?" demanded Commander Kadretti "they did say we should wait for 5 more days; I doubt that's what Q had in mind."

The Starfleet Intelligence officer turned to Kadretti. "Perhaps; but do bear in mind that Starfleet is not run by the Q."

Janeway sighed wearily. "Mr Harrison; I see your point but maybe I should elaborate on what I said earlier.

Before Q brought me here; we had a little chat, just after you left the meeting.

He clearly stated he did not know what caused the wormhole in the first place and that he and the Q closed it the first time and as we all just witnessed...they closed it again just a few minutes ago," she waited for that piece of information to sink in.

"The question we should all be asking is what has got the Q so worried that they have closed it twice...and from Q's appearance it didn't look easy."

The andorian nodded. "From past contacts with the Q continuum they seem to take a back seat to whatever is happening and just observe.

They are not known to intervene or actually help mortal beings such as us."

"Except in very exceptional cases," added Singh calmly.

Janeway was wondering if he was talking about when Q had rewarded the Voyager by 'helping' the starship travel a few light years in mere seconds in the Delta Quadrant.

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" said Harrison a bit testily "we still need to inform Starfleet Command...we can't all just leave the Neutral Border especially when it seems like the anomaly may reappear again."

Everyone stared at him.

"He's right," said Brenia reluctantly " we need to contact them now rather than later...also what are we going to tell the Romulans and the Klingons ?"

"We don't have to tell the Romulans anything hugely significant," contributed Janeway "however we may need to involve the Klingons."

"Why?" asked Nadia.

The female Rear Admiral looked at her. "What's the shortest distance to get to the Xavier's last co-ordinates?"

The astrophysicist stared at her before answering carefully.

"421 light years if we go through the Klingon-Neutral border."

Janeway looked at the others around the room and was pleased to see that no one was surprised by this.

"The klingons do not have to be involved, Rear Admiral," said Harrison in a grave tone.

Janeway closed her eyes briefly before turning to face him. His objections were becoming tiresome.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but did you not earlier state that it may be prudent to find the Xavier as soon as possible?"

Harrison compressed his lips in a thin line but did not respond.

Janeway continued. "That is what we're trying to do here because I have the odd feeling that we are running out of time and options." She looked at the others around the room.

"None of us want a wormhole in this sector or this border, and it seems to me that the Xavier and the refugee fleet they are helping may be indirectly connected to whatever is trying to create the wormhole."

Singh gave her a sharp glance. "What facts do you have to support that ma'am?"

Janeway shrugged. "None; just a hunch I have...besides Q warned me not to be late. I have learnt from past experience that ignoring his advice is not wise or healthy."

Everyone looked at each other; clearly uncomfortable with what they had just heard.

"Then; let's speak to Starfleet Command...we might as well start with my boss, she is bound to listen," said Harrison in a solemn tone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Harrison stood before the holo-screen as the image changed from the insignia of Starfleet to an image of a Vulcan female in an admiral's uniform.

She simply raised an eyebrow when she saw Harrison and the silent officers in the background.

"Lieutenant Benedict Harrison, I presume your current location is the reason you are 17 minutes and 25 seconds late for our meeting."

Naturally the Admiral could tell the transmission was coming for the Neutral-Romulan border.

To everyone's surprise the Intelligence officer grinned. "Right as always Admiral T'so'Krel; I also have with me another person you might be surprised to see." Janeway stepped closer to him so that the Vulcan could see her.

Krel's eyes widened slightly as she kept the rest of her face expressionless.

"Rear Admiral Kathryn Janeway; the last I heard you were still on Earth at Starfleet Command."

Janeway smiled wearily. "Lieutenant Harrison and I were brought here the same way...with the assistance of a Q."

Krel's expression did not change but those watching could tell she had been affected by the news.

"Does this have to do with the earlier meeting that took place an hour and 18 minutes ago?" asked the head of Starfleet Intelligence.

"Yes it does Admiral," said Harrison " and a Q has requested we help his son...as soon as possible."

Janeway looked at Harrison; she could not make the man out at all. One moment he was objecting to whatever she said ; then the next he was supporting her.

What was he up to ?

Krel stared at her officer for a long moment.

"I will get Admiral Winsworth and Admiral Mckenna to take part in this discussion right now. You will need a minimum of three senior members of Command to organize a rescue expedition."

Janeway was stunned by her words. "We would appreciate that Admiral."

Krel nodded. "Stay on the line; this will not take long."

The image was replaced by the Insignia of Starfleet and a message that they had been placed on hold.

"That was quick," muttered Shran in a low tone that carried to the white haired man standing beside him.

CommanderTrey Kadretti nodded as he watched Harrison with narrowed eyes.

"Then again; it's Starfleet Intelligence...if they really want something they move pretty fast." The Commander's voice was neutral but something in it made Shran look at him closely.

The andorian could recognize hidden rage and the human beside him had a lot of it. Shran suddenly remembered what he had heard from Captain Singh of when Trey Kadretti was the sole survivor of his ship when he was an ensign.

As if the Intelligence officer could feel someone's eyes on him; he turned his head slightly to look at Commander Kadretti.

Both maintained eye contact; refusing to be the first to break.

Then the holoscreen flicked to life again and Harrison was the first to look away.

Shran found himself releasing a sigh of relief. "Commander; remember we are working together...this is not the time to fight."

Trey said nothing for a while. "Thanks for the advice Mr Shran, I will try to remember that."

Everyone turned back to the screen as it divided into three sections.

This time Admiral Krel was in the middle and she was flanked on her right by Admiral Winsworth and on her left by Admiral Mckenna.

Immediately Winsworth saw Janeway he erupted.

"I should have known it was you! Did you not hear me clearly when I stated that the meeting with command will be at the end of the week?! What kind of prank are you trying to pull..."

"Admiral Winsworth!" called out Janeway in a parade ground voice that stopped the senior officer briefly " please note our current location as being in the Romulan Neutral border which is also 12.6hours away from Earth at maximum warp.

However Lieutenant Harrison and I were transported here by a Q in mere seconds.

Now _that_ Q is the father of Q Junior and he has asked us more than once to help his son who is currently aboard the Xavier which is 450 light years from the Federation borders." Janeway paused as she noticed the stunned look on Winsworth face and on Mckenna's face.

"Do we have your permission to arrange a rescue expedition, Admirals?"

There was silence as she waited for their answers.

Admiral Winsworth seemed a bit flustered; he closed his eyes briefly before answering.

"I do not know how you did it Janeway; but this is highly unacceptable."

Janeway felt her lower jaw drop in disbelief. She could feel the others officers' shocked reactions.

What more did this man want from her ?

"We cannot just organize an expedition at the drop of a hat! Do you realize that we do not have the resources to go gallivanting into unexplored regions of the Alpha Quadrant !"

"If I may add; the anomaly reappeared a few minutes ago," said Harrison loudly.

Sato looked at him in shock. "The wormhole?"

Harrison smiled and proceeded to give them a clear explanation of what had just happened and Q's part in it.

"So sirs; since the Q's appear to be caught up with this wormhole; we really should be interested in what is on the other side of it and also trying to get there as soon as possible..."

"If the Qs are worried about what caused the wormhole; shouldn't we be avoiding that area of space all together?!" objected Winsworth.

"Who knows what dangers lie in that section of space...a danger that Janeway is all too eager to expose us to?!"

Everyone looked at Admiral Winsworth closely. Now he sounded as if he was panicking. Even the other two admirals looked a bit concerned.

Harrison and Janeway shared a silent look.

"I for one am already convinced that we need to send someone to Xavier's last known co-ordinates," said Krel "what say you Admiral Mckenna?"

Sato had a thoughtful expression on his face. "I would like to discuss this further with Starfleet command..."

Winsworth looked triumphant at his words but Sato was not done.

"...but considering the fact that a Q has actually asked us for help more than twice in a very short space of time...we need to respond now."

Winsworth glared at the screen. "Well for the rescue expedition you need three votes and I am definitely not supporting this farce."

Janeway narrowed her eyes; she was detecting very high levels of stress coming from the Admiral.

Something was definitely wrong.

Sato looked very concerned at his words but Krel was as calm as always.

"Very well; if that is your decision Admiral Winsworth; we will discuss it further in 5 days time with the rest of Starfleet command," all in the room looked at the Vulcan senior officer with dismay "however since I am in charge of Starfleet Intelligence we need intel before a rescue expedition is started."

Winsworth's smug expression changed to one of puzzlement but Krel was still speaking.

"Rear Admiral Janeway; considering your connection to the situation I am thereby placing you in charge of the intel gathering.

You have my permission to commandeer two starships and any allies you wish to include in this operation in order to obtain the information we will need in the following weeks."

"You can't do that..." protested Winsworth.

"According to Starfleet Command Article 316.9; the head of Intelligence has the discretion to obtain intel or data that is necessary to ensure the success of any further planned operation whether in a time of war or peace.

By organising a _'scouting mission_' I do by exercise this right.

Does anyone have any objections?"

Sato was smiling. "I don't Admiral Krel."

"Well I object...!" blustered Winsworth.

"Duly noted," interrupted Krel calmly "and that shall be discussed in detail in 5 days time while the scouting team is collecting data," she looked at Janeway.

"Rear Admiral Janeway; you have your orders. Good luck and keep in touch," then the female Vulcan signed off.

Sato had a wry smile on his face as he signed off but Winsworth glared at Janeway for a few more moments.

"This is not over Rear Admiral," then his section of the holo-screen was replaced by the Starfleet Insignia.

There was awkward silence for several moments.

Janeway could feel the combined relief slash embarrassment from the majority of people in the room. She had to do something to take their minds off the clash with Admiral Winsworth.

"Well this way; we won't be at risk of a court-martial. We might as well get started," she looked at Captain Singh.

"Please inform communications that I will be speaking with the Klingons and the Romulans shortly; the official line is that I 'accompanied' the Prometheus to this joint operation.

We don't have to mention Mr Harrison; I will discuss with Captain Karath first."

"Rear Admiral Janeway; what are you going to tell them; if I may ask?" the question came from Brenia.

"By all means ask," Janeway's gaze included everyone in the room.

"Here's what I'm going to tell them; feel free to include your ideas."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

_**IKS Y'tem; the bridge...**_

Karath tried not to tap his foot impatiently; he knew it had been at least 35 minutes since he spoke to Captain Singh but he felt too much time had passed.

He still wanted to go over to the Dunkirk to meet Kadretti's parents but now he knew there was a bigger problem to worry about.

Immediately the anomaly re-appeared and disappeared; he had Mirta send a message to Klingon High Command.

His orders had been to stay and to obtain as much data as he could about the anomaly. He was not to expect any klingon ships.

Karath understood and had not complained.

During the Dominion War; there had been several occasions when he had been outgunned; out manned and surrounded but he and his crew had made it through time and time again.

This was no different.

"Captain," called a Lieutenant who was in charge of communications.

"We're been hailed by the USS Dunkirk."

"On screen," ordered Karath.

The view-screen image of the different ships out there changed to show the last person's face he had ever expected to see.

Rear Admiral Kathryn Janeway; and it looked like she was calling from the captain's ready room.

Karath's eyes narrowed; no one had mentioned that a high ranking officer from Starfleet was attending this joint mission.

Especially one as well renowned as the human female he was looking at.

"Captain Karath; I'm Rear Admiral Janeway, it is good to see you."

The klingon captain answered carefully. "Rear Admiral Janeway; much has been heard about you...but I find it odd that you are here.

Is there reason for concern?"

Janeway smiled dryly. "Perhaps."

I knew it! Thought Karath smugly.

"Care to explain Rear Admiral Janeway?" asked the klingon politely.

A few of his officers who were relatively new to the ship looked at him oddly but those who had served with him for years knew what Karath was like.

He was honourable but did not suffer fools gladly; he usually gave you one chance to prove yourself and it was always the last chance anyone ever had.

Any of his opponents who mistook his calm attitude as a sign of weakness never got a chance to repeat that mistake.

"Captain Karath; yesterday one of our Starfleet officers disappeared into the anomaly the first time it appeared," she paused "however; a few hours ago ,we received a distress call from a region of the Alpha Quadrant which is about 450 light years from the edge of Federation space.

A journey to that area will take 4 months and 2 weeks at maximum warp.

The sender of the call was Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti."

Silence reigned on the Karath's bridge.

He sat up slowly and maintained eye contact with the female Rear Admiral.

"How did she survive and what did she find on the other side?"

Janeway looked at him for a long moment. "She was picked up by the Xavier; one of our ships."

Karath stared at her; she was clearly avoiding telling him how the ensign survived. "I thought that region was yet to be explored...so you have a base in that region."

Janeway smiled dryly. "No; we don't. We believe the Xavier was transported there by...unusual means."

Karath caught on to her meaning. "Would these unusual means be similar to how the USS Voyager was flung 70,000 light years into the Delta Quadrant ?"

The Rear Admiral gave the klingon captain a look of respect. "We don't know how the Xavier got sent to that section of space but we intend to find out by going there.

Our calculations have shown us that there is a faster way of getting to those co-ordinates; however we need the permission of the Klingon High Council."

Now we get down to business thought Karath with a hidden feeling of glee.

"I see; what are the co-ordinates?" he asked in a cordial manner.

"It's been sent to you as we speak," said Janeway.

Lieutenant Commander Mirta turned from the science station. "Captain; I have received the co-ordinates; from my calculations journey via the Klingon Neutral border will reduce the distance to 421 light years from our current position."

Karath nodded without looked at his science officer. "Thank you Lieutenant Commander," then he concentrated on Rear Admiral Janeway.

"I will relay your message to Klingon High Command do bear in mind that I will request to be part of this mission since you will need our assistance through the Neutral Border."

Janeway nodded. "Captain, your assistance is welcome."

But Karath was not done yet. "I hope the romulans will not be a part of this mission."

He was sure Janeway could read between the lines; there was no way in Gre'Thor he was going to allow the Tal Shiar to go traipsing through Klingon territory!

(Gre'Thor is klingon word for hell.)

"They won't be," said Janeway confidently.

Karath stared at her for a long moment; he had heard that she was a warrior of her word and he believed it.

"I will inform the Klingon High Council and afterwards we can discuss a bit more on board the Y'tem. I hereby invite you; Captain Singh, Captain E'Kalez; Commander Kadretti and Dr Kadretti to be my guests on my ship."

Some of the new officers in the bridge gave each other pleased looks.

It was high time their captain acted like a klingon.

As for the old hands; their expressions were on the wary side, they knew of E'Kalez's reputation as the 'Red Warrior'.

May Kahless help them all if Captain Karath pissed her off.

Janeway smiled at Karath. "I'm looking forward to it Captain."

Then she signed off.

Karath turned to his communications officer. "Get me Klingon High Command now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Janeway turned to see Harrison frowning at her.

No one had left the room from the earlier meeting.

"Spit it out Lieutenant." She could tell he was upset but she was getting tired of his objections.

"You told him too much, Rear Admiral," said the Intelligence officer softly but firmly.

"I told him what was necessary," said Janeway " we need the klingons and I would rather have them with us then here at the border where the wrong word or act could lead to a war between the Klingon Empire and the Romulans."

Harrison opened his mouth to protest but Singh got there first.

"We still have the Romulans to inform; that may be tricky especially with you being here Rear Admiral."

Janeway nodded. "A discussion with a Tal Shiar is not something I am looking forward to."

"This Tal Shiar may be different," said Bishop grudgingly.

Janeway gave him a puzzled look. "How so?"

Bishop looked at his captain who nodded.

"After the wormhole disappeared along with Ensign Kadretti; Major Nveid Solius told us in not so many words that they had actually sent two unmanned craft into the wormhole when it first appeared...the two ships were ripped to pieces.

They obviously cleared the debris before we arrived to investigate the anomaly."

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Commander Kadretti bitterly. His wife did not look pleased.

Janeway was surprised. "He actually admitted to that?"

Singh nodded. "And I get the impression he was not supposed to tell us that much...he probably did so because Ensign Kadretti had sacrificed herself for him and Mr Flint."

Nadia closed her eyes tightly as her husband held her closely. Even though they now knew she was alive; it was still hard to accept that she was millions of miles away in an unknown area on an unknown ship.

"I'm curious as to why Captain Karath wants us to come to the Y'tem for a meeting," said Demarce effectively changing the topic.

"Do you know him Dr Kadretti?" asked Harrison as he suddenly turned to face the female astrophysict.

She glared at him. "No, Lieutenant."

"We'll know when we get there," said Janeway quickly before Commander Kadretti tried to punch the intelligence officer " let's move on to the Romulans."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

_**Romulan Warbird Vigilance; the bridge...**_

"Captain Singh seemed to be in a hurry when we spoke to him," said the female Tal Shiar major as she read through the reports on her PADD.

Nveid turned from the view-screen which showed the other eleven romulan ships ; the four Federation starships and the single klingon bird of prey.

"Probably because he had to send a message to his commanders informing them of the reappearance and disappearance of the anomaly."

"It's a pity our sensors did not pick up any significant data," said the female Tal Shiar calmly.

Nevid nodded; the romulan ships had been furthest from the anomaly; the nearest had been the Federation ships but he doubted they had picked up anything.

"We should invite them to the Vigilance," said Nalah Mas suddenly.

Nveid froze; then turned to look at her.

"Who exactly did you have in mind Major?" he asked carefully.

Nalah kept her gaze steady. "Captain E'kalez ; I have always wanted to meet her."

Nveid was successful in not showing his exasperation but something in his eyes made her take one step back.

Did the Tal Shiar actually think they could grab E'Kalez and be ignored by the Federation and the Klingons!?

"Thank you for your suggestion Major; I will keep it in mind."

"Captain Jorek," the male romulan senior officer who had been silently watching the two Tal Shiar turned to his communication officer.

"We are been hailed by the USS Dunkirk."

Jorek looked at Major Solius who nodded.

"On screen."

A few seconds later; the view-screen was showing the face of a certain high ranking Starfleet officer.

"I'm Rear Admiral Kathryn Janeway; may I speak to whoever is in charge?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

To say Nveid was stunned was the understatement of the year.

He heard himself replying as he moved up to stand beside the seated captain of the romulan warbird.

"I am Major Nveid Solius.

No one informed us that you would be arriving on the USS Prometheus."

Janeway raised an eyebrow. "We take the appearance of this anomaly very seriously Major Solius."

"Apparently so," said Nveid "well I gather that since Starfleet Command decided to send you that you must have more intel about the origin of this anomaly."

Janeway narrowed her eyes. "Why do you say that?"

Nveid smiled confidently as he felt the shock of seeing her reducing.

"Many know of a certain female Captain whose ship was sent millions of miles away in the Delta Quadrant and also returned to the Alpha Quadrant via another wormhole...since you have the experience of travelling via such means that may be why you are here now."

Janeway shrugged elegantly. "Perhaps; however I'm informing you that two of our ships will be leaving this region of space shortly."

"Why?" asked Nalah who came to stand beside Nveid.

Strangely enough Nveid did not object to her abrupt question. "This is Major Nalah Mas; a colleague of mine."

Janeway looked at her for a few moments perhaps wondering what had happened to Colonel S'Tokkr Xareth.

"Due to recently obtained intel; we may have located the origin of the wormhole," everyone on the bridge turned to look at the Rear Admiral.

"And where would that be Rear Admiral Janeway?" asked Solius in a calm voice.

"In a certain unmapped part of the Alpha Quadrant; however considering that the shortest route is via the Klingon-Neutral border I have sent a request to the Klingon High Command for permission to go through their territories."

"Where did you get this intel from?" asked Captain Jorek in a suspicious tone.

Janeway looked at him boldly. "From a member of the Q Continuum."

Everyone stared at the view-screen in shock.

Jorek blinked twice while Solius had a stunned look on his face.

"Is this a joke?" asked Nalah in a hard voice.

Janeway had a very serious expression on her face. "I'm not one to play pranks Major and neither are the Q," then a curious look appeared on her face "have you ever encountered the Q ?"

Nveid felt Nalah's eyes on him.

The Tal Shiar had heard rumours of these 'so called near-omnipotent beings' working with members of the Federation.

At first the Romulan Empire had dismissed it as 'fairy tales' but had actually found out to their surprise that the 'existence' of these beings was being taught to the cadets at Starfleet Academy.

That was what made the Tal Shiar consider that maybe the 'Q Continuum' actually existed.

However no 'visual' evidence had been obtained that verified the existence of that race.

"No, Rear Admiral; I have not had the pleasure."

Janeway smiled dryly at his choice of words. "Lucky you; anyway we can't ignore the information we got from the Q...the last time we did so we ended up encountering the Borg unprepared and I don't have to tell you what happened afterwards."

Nveid somehow knew she was talking about the battle of Wolf 359.

Stardate 2367.04; the Tal Shiar received authentic intel that Starfleet was mobilizing a fleet of 40 ships to engage an unknown enemy at star Wolf 359 which was 7.78 light years from Earth's solar system.

The Romulan Intelligence service was eager to know who this new enemy was; many had hoped the enemy would decimate the Federation so much that the Romulan Empire could finish off Earth and it's allies afterwards.

So the Tal Shiar had ordered most of their undercover operatives to obtain berths on those 40 ships in order to get a measure of what the Federation was facing.

The results were not what the Romulans had expected.

40 Starfleet vessels had engaged one Borg cube and only one Starfleet ship had barely survived.

The revelation of the new enemy had cost the Tal Shiar irreplaceable operatives that had taken them decades to plant within Starfleet; but it had also taught the Romulans a bitter lesson.

They needed a strong Federation as a buffer because the Borg respected no boundaries or territories.

If that single Borg cube had succeeded; the rest of the Quadrant would have been next.

Some in the Imperial Court argued that the Borg were no match for the weapons of the Romulan Empire; but Solius knew otherwise.

"You're saying the Q warned Starfleet in the past about the Borg?" asked Jorek in an incredulous tone.

"That may sound hard to believe but it is the truth," said Janeway with conviction.

A sudden thought stuck Nveid. "You're met the Q before have you not?" it wasn't exactly a question.

Janeway's clear blue eyes turned to face him. "Yes; I have and as we have learnt from experience whatever they say needs to be taken seriously."

"Rear Admiral Janeway; what exactly does the Q have to do with the anomaly?" asked Nveid.

Nalah and Jorek looked at him with stunned looks as if they could hardly believe he was taking Janeway seriously.

Janeway raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly. "That is what I intend to find out; which is why this is a scouting mission and we will be leaving the USS Zeus and USS Endeavour here in case the anomaly reappears."

"You didn't tell us the exact location of the origin of the anomaly," said Nalah in a firm tone.

Janeway looked at her; clearly not intimidated by the Tal Shiar. "About 450 light years from the Federation border."

"That's 4 months and two weeks by maximum warp and you're going with only two starships?" asked Jorek in disbelief.

"And the IKS Y'tem," added Janeway.

Nveid looked at her closely. Clearly there was more to this than meets the eye.

One of the Tal Shiar had to accompany the small scouting group in order to find out more. He knew that the klingons and the Federation were going to be against it but he had to try. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Captain!" called the romulan science officer in alarm.

"It's back."

Nveid saw the alarmed look appear on Janeway's face as she looked off screen to someone who was talking rapidly to her in worried tones.

"Excuse us for a moment," said Jorek as he terminated the transmission and the scene on the viewscreen showed that the wormhole was back.

Except that now it was bigger.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Lady Q looked at the other two male Q; they had barely regained their strength but this anomaly was not going to be allowed to remain.

"Once again; follow my lead gentlemen."

The three Q warily approached the space-ley lines.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Nveid watched the anomaly on the screen as the science officer read out the dimensions.

It's diameter had gone up from 30,250 metres to 45,915 metres the inner aperture seemed to be harder to discern but it also appeared to have increased from 6,050 metres to 7,959 metres.

The Tal Shiar felt his heart rate pick up; he found it hard to believe that he had actually got into a shuttle that had been drawn into the anomaly eventually.

He was certain that before this mission was over that he would have nightmares about the anomaly and his time in that blasted shuttle !

Exactly 2 minutes passed before the anomaly began to destabilize again; thick whitish tentacles erupted from the anomaly but fortunately the starships were far away.

The anomaly struggled to stay alive for 90 more seconds before disappearing all together.

Nveid continued to stare at the spot where the anomaly had been moments before.

Something was trying to get here.

"Captain; we're being hailed, it's the Dunkirk!"

Jorek looked at his communication officer. "On screen."

Once more Janeway was visible but the set look on her face revealed her inner concern.

"Captain Jorek; Major Solius and Major Nas, we will be leaving earlier than planned. The IKS Y'tem has agreed to accompany us to their borders and beyond," she paused " I'm going to ask Starfleet Command to send at least two more Starships to assist you in observing this section of space."

Nveid looked at her closely. "Were you warned of another invasion Rear Admiral?" he felt romulan officers close to him give him looks of alarm.

The Dominion War was still fresh in everyone's mind.

If there was an invading force on the other side of that wormhole; then Nveid could not afford to leave the 12 warbirds and accompany the USS Dunkirk on a 4 month long journey.

Nveid hardly knew Nas and thus could not trust her to be able to handle the situation adequately if an armada emerged from the anomaly.

Neither could he send Major Nas with Janeway and her scouting team; the simple reason why was that he did not trust the female Tal Shiar that much.

Janeway looked at him solemnly. "I don't know; which is why I need to leave as soon as possible. Good luck and be safe Major Solius."

"Good luck as well Rear Admiral Janeway; do let us know if you require assistance from the Romulan Empire," said Solius politely.

The senior human female officer nodded before signing off.

Solius was staring at the screen for a long moment before turning to a stunned Jorek.

"We need to speak to Romulan High Command, right now," the captain nodded before calling his communication's officer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

_**Somewhere between dimensions...**_

Lady Q tried to control her breathing.

By the galaxies; that had been harder then she realized but not as bad as the very first time when they closed down the anomaly.

"This is not working," rasped General Q as he sat down on a hastily formed chair "surely we should get the others involved..."

"No" said Q from where he was sitting on the ground also breathing a bit fast "whatever is behind this anomaly is weakening."

Lady Q looked at her husband. "You felt it too?" She as usual was the only one standing.

He nodded while General Q looked at both of them in disbelief.

"What are you two talking about?"

Q's eyes widened. "General Q; it appears you must be losing your touch; surely you are not becoming senile just when we require your supposedly-vastly-superior- but-really-outdated knowledge."

General Q's face reddened as he growled. "Q...!"

Lady Q answered before the older Q gave into temptation and punched her incorrigible husband.

"Q is right," both men looked at her "it is weakening which is why it's trying desperately to get this wormhole working. It's almost as if it's pouring everything it's got into it's final efforts."

"But it's using the fabric of the universe to weave this wormhole!" protested General Q "surely you realize the dangers of having such limitless energy at one's fingertips."

Lady Q nodded. "I know the risks alright but watching it try again and again is the key to helping us find out who is behind it."

Q gave his wife a sharp look.

"Something tells me you know who it is."

Lady Q shook her head. " Not quite; but I have my suspicions and if it is who I think it is...then they are going to wish they had never ascended."

General Q looked puzzled before the light of realization dawned on him.

"It can't possibly be..."

"Oh yes General Q; I think it's time we found out what each of the Lords of Kobol have been up to for the past few millennia."

Q and General Q shared a look of dismay.

"Please tell me she's kidding," said the General in a desperate tone.

Q stared at the determined look on his wife's face. "I'm afraid she's not kidding."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX

**Hi! Hope you're all having a great week. So sorry for the late update.**

**It's few more days to go and 'Into Darkness' will be here!**

**I can't wait; now because of the movie coming out soon; I just had to add one more character...lemme give ya a hint. First name Benedict, middle name starts with 'C' and the last name starts with 'H'!**

**He's also a Starfleet officer.**

**Hope you enjoyed this story; please read and wish me luck with the rest!**

**Have a great rest of the week people!**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 of the Phoenix and the Wolverine

Lieutenant Daniel Novacek was trying very hard to stay calm.

The escape from the basestar had been quick and hardly gave him any room to breathe; but now that they were in the Xavier; he was beginning to take stock of his surroundings.

And he was wondering if he had switched the frying pan for the bonfire.

They had an A.I.

They had a_ frakking _ A.I !

He felt blood pounding in his ears as 'Captain' Logan asked the A.I the ship's status; he watched as Kara and Anders handed over their weapons to Ensign Q Junior.

The female colonial officer seemed a bit reluctant but complied with a slight sigh and she also seemed a bit surprised when the dark skinned girl with the odd ridged forehead also handed in her weapon.

The blond male ensign in colonial flight uniform did not have any weapons on him apparently.

Daniel silently watched as Q Junior put the weapons including the odd-looking rifle-laser like weapon into a compartment in the wall of the shuttle bay. A compartment which seemed fused to the wall and even from where he stood he could not make out where it began or ended.

He hoped he would be able to open it when the time came.

"I wonder if I'm dreaming," said Baltar softly.

Daniel gave him a sharp look; wishing the crazy scientist would not draw attention to them.

"If you are; then we're sharing the same dream," said Caprica Six calmly as she looked around the flight bay with obvious interest.

Daniel stared at her and wondered what it would be like to snap her neck like a toothpick.

Something told him it would be somewhat satisfying.

Baltar opened his mouth to reply but someone got there first.

"You three have an appointment in the medical bay," they all turned to face the solemn female teenager with black hair and those shiny hand claws that were fortunately absent.

The blood on her black body armour had dried but the streaks on her face and outfit gave her a sinister look.

Daniel was sure the blades were part of her armour; probably attached to the gauntlet like wrist bands and sleeves; maybe she had to take off the entire armour.

He would wait until everyone had relaxed and disarmed themselves then he would make his move and escape off this strange ship probably using the colonial raptor he had been stunned to see packed in the shuttle bay.

It may have been eight years since he last flew but he was certain he would be able to get the raptor flying once he was behind the controls.

Daniel didn't know if the crew of the Xavier were cylons or not but he did not trust a crew with and what could be a frakking sentient hologram!

"Why do we have to go to the medical bay?" asked Caprica Six in a firm voice.

Laura smiled coldly and moved forward as her hands hung loosely beside her.

"Starfleet protocol Regulation 439 paragraph 2; any away team returning must report to the medical bay for evaluation and possible decontamination before debriefing.

This includes any additional life-forms whether sentient or non-sentient that is brought on board the ship by the away team," Laura paused "in summary; the latter part of that regulation means you."

Caprica watched the girl with narrowed eyes. "Starfleet...is that Earth's military...?"

"And none of your concern!" interjected Kara before the female cylon could ask any more.

Six raised an amused eyebrow. "If you expect me to help you; I also must have something in return...like information."

Kara lifted her hand as if she wanted to hit her; then restrained herself when she realized it was quiet and that everyone was watching her.

"You're alive bitch; _that_ is your reward."

Caprica opened her mouth to speak but Logan beat her to it.

"Laura is right; we are _all_ going to the medical bay right now."

His tone of voice indicated he was not going to listen to any objections.

Daniel watched him discreetly; the captain had to be the most dangerous of the crew.

He would have to watch him closely...because he may have to kill him first.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_**The one called Daniel wants to make a break for it.**_

Jean almost nodded then caught herself.

_I thought we said no reading of minds Phoenix._

She heard a sigh in her head at her gentle rebuke.

_**I know; but seriously this guy is practically yelling his thoughts out...I guess that's because no one ever taught him shielding, even if he knew how to 'shield' it would be so easy to rip a hole through his defences.**_

Jean closed her eyes briefly.

_Phoenix; please don't do that..._

_**He's thinking about trying to hurt Logan.**_

Jean's thoughts froze before mentally yelling.

_WHAT!?_

From the corner of her eyes she saw Rogers wince and hold his head as if he was experiencing a migraine.

_**Easy there tiger.**_ Said an amused Phoenix _**. **_

_**Don't forget you've got an inexperienced empath with barely functioning shields.**_

Jean cursed inwardly as she walked towards the stricken ensign who was also been attended to by Ensign Kadretti.

"Are you alright Bill?" asked Oma with concern in her voice.

The colonial ensign groaned. "Just had the worse headache ever."

Oma touched his shoulder. "You need to get to sick bay."

"I agree," said Jean hastily as she got close to them.

_**Oh...would you look at that? Once Oma touched him; the headache eased.**_

Said the Phoenix in mild surprise.

_**I wonder why...hmm...now that is interesting.**_

_What are you going on about?_ Thought Jean in an irritated manner.

_**Ha! Watch and enjoy my dear other-me; I'm not spoiling the surprise.**_

Thought back the Phoenix gleefully.

Jean suppressed an angry sigh and instead concentrated on her charges.

It was time they all went to the medical bay.

"Away team and new guests," everyone looked at her "to the medical bay please."

Caprica Six; Daniel and Baltar looked at her and then at a frowning Logan and wisely kept silent.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Anders kept a close eye on Baltar and Caprica Six as the small group left the shuttle bay; he definitely did not trust them and wished he had a weapon nearby.

But he knew Captain Logan would not let them carry live weapons around the Xavier.

The male colonial pilot looked at Dr Grey who looked quite stern and also glanced at Logan who was definitely someone not to be frakked with.

Anders hoped Lieutenant Novacek caught on real quick; if not he was going to be spending most of the journey fast asleep or in Xavier's brig.

As for Number Six and Balter; Anders hoped they frakked up so that they could be locked away.

If he had any choice in the matter; he would have Baltar and the female cylon put on trial as soon as possible and hopefully executed soon after.

"So Anders how the in Hades did you guys destroy a basestar?"

The Junior Lieutenant grinned and turned to face Helo.

"Oh that story is for Ensign Kadretti and Ensign Q to tell; it had something to do with some device on their ship."

Helo looked puzzled. "Device ? I thought the shuttles had weapons?"

"Yeah they do," Anders now had a grave look on his face "the cylons have a new weapon and a way of getting under the 'shields' of the shuttle and thus they damaged the weapons system.

Q was going to tell us about it when we got back; but I guess medicals first then debriefing later."

He paused. "How's Hera and Sharon?"

Helo gave him a relieved smile. "Sharon is over the moon; Hera was poorly at first but Dr Grey worked her magic and cured her."

Ander raised both eyebrows at the word magic.

"Magic as in...?"

"I mean...she did surgery on Hera's abdomen...but there was something strange..." Helo's voice trailed off as if he was not sure how to explain what had happened.

"What do you mean by strange?" asked Anders in a hushed voice as they trailed behind the small group.

Helo answered carefully.

"Just before she started operating...her eyes went pure black," he saw the incredulous look in Ander's eyes "I know this sounds odd but it happened.

Then it seemed as if a...different person took over and she started the operation...one that is definitely not the norm."

Anders kept quiet; entranced by the part awe and part fear in Helo's voice.

"Instruments flew slowly towards her when she needed them...at first I was sure the instruments had to be some sort of gravity-defying device attached to each of them...then I wondered if maybe...she was actually in control of the instruments.

Like what happened on the Galactica's main flight deck."

Anders felt the blood drain from his face as he looked quickly ahead; to his relief Jean was talking with Ensign Q Junior and the others were not paying attention to him and Helo.

How could he forget what had happened on the Galactica main flight deck?

He had heard other officers who had been present stating that seeing all those 'floating' weapons pointing at them had given them nightmares.

But there had been something different then.

"Her eyes were not black then," said Anders in a low voice.

Helo nodded. "I know...I want to ask...but I am not really that keen to do so."

Anders stared at him for a long moment.

"I know exactly how you feel Karl."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

The group reached the medical bay in a few moments.

Logan noticed how Six, Baltar and Daniel stared at the walls and each part of the ship on their way to the sick bay.

He wondered if it would have been wiser beaming them straight to the bay; then decided against it.

Something told him he had to conserve energy for the coming inevitable battle with the cylons.

Jean seemed to be keeping a close eye on Daniel Novacek; it took a few moments before Logan recognised the look in her eyes.

Suspicion.

That rang alarm bells in Logan's mind; she must have...'heard' something to make her so concerned.

But how would the Phoenix react?

Logan moved towards Jean as she started issuing orders.

"Ensign Q; are you well?"

The male ensign gave her a startled look. "Em...yeah; I'm okay and functioning as expected."

Jean nodded. "Excellent; you will be in charge of reviewing Lieutenant Thrace; Mr Anders; Laura and the Captain.

I'll take care of Mr..." she turned to the bespectacled thin man who was dumb-stuck by the medical bay.

"His name is Gaius Baltar," calmly offered the slim blonde woman in the blood splattered white trouser suit who stood beside him.

"My name is Caprica Six," the female cylon turned to the dark skinned man in the white outfit "and this is..."

"Lieutenant Daniel Novacek," said the man harshly as he glared at her "don't ever mention my name," said the former POW in a chilling tone.

Caprica Six raised an eyebrow as if amused by his anger.

"Understood."

That simple word seemed to infuriate Daniel even more.

Jean noticed his hands twitch and spoke quickly before she had to use telekinesis to restrain the former colonial POW.

"Thanks for the introductions; I am Dr Grey; I will be in-charge of you three; I'll start with Lieutenant Novacek..."

"I don't need a medical check up," interrupted Daniel harshly.

Logan's eyes narrowed and he took a step forward then stopped when he felt a familiar presence in his mind.

_**Wait.**_

Something told him it was the Phoenix.

Jean stared at Daniel for a long moment.

"Lieutenant Novacek; I am the Chief Medical Officer of the Xavier.

You have been a prisoner of the cylons for 8 years; I have no idea what you went through; but I'm sure it is something you wish you could forget.

But unfortunately I _will _not do that for you."

Something in her voice made Novacek look at her closely.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

"You speak as if it is possible to forget what was done to me...that is impossible..."

_**No it's not.**_

"No; it's not," said Jean at the same time a dark voice 'talked' in his head.

She continued speaking at the same time the presence spoke and both seemed to merge into one hypnotizing voice which somehow kept him fixed in place.

_**I can wipe away those memories; give you new ones...give you a new life.**_

_**But that will 'kill' a part of you and you shall feel it's loss for evermore.**_

_**We all have suffered at some point in our life.**_

_**You either let that 'experience' make you stronger or let it destroy you.**_

_**The choice is yours.**_

Jean's eyes flashed black briefly; then she shook her head a bit and looked at Novacek who was now quite pale.

The rest of the onlookers had wisely kept silent; somehow knowing that interrupting Dr Grey was not a good idea.

"Now; shall we begin your medical exam?" asked Jean calmly as if nothing had happened.

Novacek stared at her for a long time.

He had never 'felt' such a dark and powerful presence in his mind before; part of him insisted again and again that he was hallucinating but another part of him was screaming that what he had just 'heard' and 'felt' was very real.

And that Dr Jean Grey was not someone to be taken lightly on any day of the week.

He found himself nodding silently.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Logan quickly got out of the sonic shower; he preferred a normal water shower but he did not have time for that.

He quickly changed into the black Starfleet issue long sleeve woollen T-shirt and a pair of black leather-like trousers with black boots.

Logan clipped on the x-shaped com-badge and stepped out of the medical shower stall as he hastily combed his hair with his hands.

To his immense relief no one had misbehaved.

Jean appeared to have finished Novacek's assessment and the former POW was sitting quietly on a bio-bed watching Dr Grey as she assessed Dr Baltar.

"What now pops?" He turned to the person who had materialized silently at his side.

Laura was already out of her blood splattered armour and was wearing almost the same outfit as Logan; right down to the black boots.

From the lack of blood streaks on her face and the fresh scent of her hair; she had just taken a sonic shower as well.

"You've been checked over by Q?"

She snorted. "As much as you have...yeah."

Logan tried not to sigh. He had abruptly told Q that he needed to change and had quickly ducked into the sonar shower; he had been hoping no one would remember that he had not done his physical yet.

He looked to the side and saw Ensign Kadretti was scanning Rogers; while Q Junior seemed to have finished with Anders.

Kara was standing beside her husband and was trying to divide her attention between him and the silent female blonde cylon who was looking around her with great interest.

The rest of the away team and the 'new' guests were yet to change from their body armour and prison outfits; but he could already see that on a nearby bio-bed were neatly folded piles of new replicated colonial uniforms and also Starfleet issue T-shirts and trousers and at least one red and black Starfleet uniform.

Helo was absent.

_**He's with his wife and child...maybe you should say hi to the youngest crew member?**_

Logan found himself smiling a bit as Jean telepathically informed him of where the small family was.

"I'm going to see Sharon, Helo and their daughter; you want to come along?"

Laura appeared a bit startled and took her time answering.

"Yeah...didn't really get a good look at the baby."

Logan's eyes widened he had been so sure that Laura would decline.

"Fine...then let's see the youngest member of the crew."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

As Kara removed her body armour; she noticed Laura and Logan walking to a walled off part of the medical bay; a section that she had seen Helo go to earlier.

That was when she realized she had almost forgotten about Sharon and Hera.

"Helo told me Dr Grey treated her," said Anders who had been watching the expressions on his wife's face.

She gave him a startled look. "Now; you read minds?"

He grinned lazily. "Don't underestimate my powers of deduction dear."

Q Junior continued using his medical equipment to check Anders right thigh.

The outer body armour had been removed and Anders was down to a black tank top and close fitting shorts of the same colour.

"Well; your leg is perfectly fine; the right femur knit quite well and there's nothing else to worry about," said Q Junior as he made a few notes on his PADD.

Ander's smile widened. "Glad to hear it."

The hologram nodded without looking at him as he pointed at the pile of clean clothes.

"New colonial uniforms were replicated according to your size; feel free to use the sonar showers and one of the cubicles to change," he turned to Kara.

"Your turn."

The female colonial pilot hesitated briefly before sitting on a bio-bed; like her husband, she was down to a black tank top and black snug shorts.

"You got somewhere to be Ensign?"

Q Junior nodded as a thoughtful frown appeared on his face.

"Yes; I need to be in engineering to try and coax some more speed out of the warp drive."

Anders froze as he reached for his new clean uniform. He had decided to leave off the sonar shower for now. After all Q Junior had cleaned his wound properly before healing it.

Besides he had more important things to worry about.

"Why is that?" asked the male Junior Lieutenant.

"From the calculations I've done with the info we got from the basestar we will arrive after the next transmission of Galactica's location."

Kara jumped off the bed. "This medical can wait..."

"No; it can't," said Q Junior testily " you were exposed to the noxious gases I released when I shot that cooling tube in the basestar flight deck.

I need to be sure you all are well before we debrief and I run off to engineering. So please stay still for a few minutes while I scan you."

Kara looked at the stern look on his face and found herself complying.

"Minimal lung irritation; saturations 97 on air; very trace amounts of carbon-monoxide in your system. You having any headaches?"

Kara had to think for a moment. "Eh...no."

Q Junior nodded absently as he scanned her head. "Intracranial pressure normal...rest of your obs are satisfactory.

You've got a clean bill of health."

Q Junior put down his tricorder then reached out to press a few buttons on his holo-emitter.

"Wait!" said Kara urgently.

Q Junior's hand froze. "I was just changing my holoprojection uniform..."

"Not now," interrupted Kara in a softer voice as she looked furtively at where Caprica Six was standing.

Q Junior glanced and saw that the female cylon was watching them intently.

"Why?" asked a puzzled Q Junior.

Anders and Kara shared a quick look before the female colonial pilot answered.

"I need to speak to you when _she_ is not watching...preferably far away from her."

Q Junior did not have to ask if she was talking about the Number Six cylon currently in the medical bay and watching them.

He stared at Kara for a few moments.

"Alright...but first I need to see how Rogers, Laura and the captain are doing before going to engineering."

He barely acknowledged Kara's nod before going over to the next bio-bed.

Kara quickly put on the new clean colonial flight uniform as a fully dressed Anders came to stand beside her.

"I don't know about you...but he seems worried about the duration of our return trip," said the male colonial pilot.

Kara zipped up her jacket and nodded. "Yeah...I get the same vibe...and that concerns me a lot."

While escaping from the basestar; Q Junior had not been able to explain in detail what he had found.

She looked quickly at where Caprica Six was and to her relief; Dr Grey was now talking to the female cylon. Kara lowered her voice as she turned back to her husband.

"I'll stick with Q and warn him about Six's abilities to hack into programs."

Anders nodded as he looked at Six. "I'll keep an eye on Six and the...others."

He turned to go but was stopped by his wife's gentle hand. "Give Novacek a heads up about Sharon; considering how he feels about the cylons I don't want him trying to harm her when she shows up with Hera."

Anders smiled dryly. "Helo will kill him first."

"My thoughts exactly," said Kara softly before she went after Q Junior.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Ever since they got back; Q Junior had the feeling that they were running out of time.

He had the uncanny sensation of a clock in his mind going 'tick tock, tick tock'.

That was disconcerting.

He stopped as Oma scanned Roger's head with a medical tricorder; the male colonial ensign looked a bit pale.

"Ensign Kadretti; how's he doing?" asked Q Junior.

"I'm right here," muttered Rogers.

Oma turned to Q Junior. "Observations are normal; still unsure as to what caused his headache; an increasing probability may be due to the fact of inadequate mental shields." She delivered this last part of the sentence with a glare towards her patient.

Roger smiled weakly. "Still practicing; just need more time."

"You alright Rogers?" asked Kara who had just come up behind Q Junior.

The male colonial ensign nodded. "Yes; I am fine; seriously there is nothing wrong with me."

Q Junior quickly looked at the readings on the bio-screen attached to the bio-bed Rogers was sitting on.

"I agree," he looked at Ensign Kadretti.

"There's a new uniform for you here. However, could you please help me collect all the body armour and put in storage cubicle 31 for sterilization?

I believe the captain and Laura left theirs in the shower cubicles."

"Sure; anything else?" asked Oma.

"Prepare for debriefing," he sighed "I'll be doing rapid scans on the captain and Laura if they let me; see you in a bit."

He left with Kara not far behind.

Oma started taking off her chest and shoulder armour and heard a soft sound; she turned to see Roger's eyes were wide, his mouth was slightly open and he appeared a bit flushed in the face.

"Eh...maybe you should look elsewhere?" she said in firm voice as she felt her face get very warm.

Rogers went even redder. "I...I am so sorry," he stammered quickly before looking away.

Oma tried not to sigh; she knew she was wearing a Starfleet issues black body hugging long sleeve t-shirt and snug shots but she felt really conscious about Rogers seeing her in it.

In the Academy she had attended martial arts class dressed in less so why was she feeling so odd ?

She didn't know why but she didn't think this was the time to ponder that.

Not when they had a fleet of pissed off cylons on their tails.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

He was such an idiot, thought Rogers in dismay.

When he realized what Oma was about to do; part of him warned him to turn away but for the life of him he found himself frozen in place.

She had taken the chest and shoulder pieces off and he was mesmerized by the litheness of her form as it was covered by the close fitting black long-sleeved undergarment.

His gaze dropped to the perfectly shaped but covered mounds on her chest and his breath caught in his throat.

It was when he saw the stunned expression on her face that rapidly turned to one of irritation that he realized that he had been staring at her with his mouth open.

"Eh...maybe you should look elsewhere ?"

Rogers managed to stammer an almost incomprehensible apology as he turned round to stare at anything.

But what he had seen could not be forgotten.

Gods above; the girl was beautiful.

And if he was not careful; she was going to kill him.

"I'm done, you can turn around now and maybe help me with this."

Rogers swallowed nervously before turning.

Ensign Kadretti was now back in her black and red Starfleet uniform; to him the slim military lines of her outfit just made her more...attractive.

But right now she looked pissed.

"I am really sorry..."

She held up her hand halting his words. "I accept...just stay focused," she said awkwardly. Rogers gave her a puzzled look he had been sure she had been about to say 'just don't do it again,' not 'stay focused'.

"What do you need help with?" asked Rogers as the silence got even more awkward.

Oma picked up her body armour and Kara's. "Get Anders' gear and follow me."

Rogers complied rapidly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Caprica Six had kept her eyes open and tried to listen carefully ever since she got 'transported' into the shuttle.

She had not got a chance to ask how that was managed and judging from the attitudes of her 'hosts' ; she felt it was better to keep silent; just watch and listen.

When she stepped out of the shuttle into flight deck of the ship she had stared opened mouthed at her surroundings.

From the gleaming clean whitish metal walls to the second shuttle which was on the flight deck; she had very few words to describe everything.

Advanced technology.

Make that _very _advanced technology.

She almost had a heart attack when she heard an electronic male voice welcome the captain back.

They had a male Hybrid.

And they had named it!

The crew of this ship definitely had to be from the Thirteenth Tribe.

She still found it hard to believe that the man called Logan was the captain of this ship; to her he would have been more suited to being a security goon.

However; she was reluctantly impressed by the fact that he got his hands 'dirty' and was not afraid to take unbelievable risks like infiltrating a basestar disguised as a centurion.

That made him unpredictable and possibly brilliant.

A very dangerous combination.

Then there was his daughter who had to be at most thirteen years old; from the little she had seen, Laura was an accomplished fighter and killer.

She must have started training as soon as she could walk.

What kind of father put his daughter through such training?

Six then wondered if the electronic voice really belonged to a Hybrid and suddenly her main goal in life was the chance to inspect this ship from top to bottom.

But that was definitely not going to happen; not with Kara staring daggers at her. The female colonial officer wanted to kill Six so much that the female cylon could almost taste it.

Caprica took note of the two new people on the flight deck.

Karl 'Helo' Agathon; she would recognize him anywhere.

But the silent confident looking slim woman with dark reddish-brown hair that was standing beside him was a complete stranger. Six saw concern appear on her face as she walked up to Captain Logan and touched his chest which had dried blood on it.

The way she did it made Six think there had to be something '_intimate' _between those two; her suspicion was confirmed when she saw the captain's face soften as he tried to reassure the woman before him that he was okay.

That brought up another question.

She was certain he had been shot more than once; especially when the centurions and cylons changed their ammo to the armour-piercing variety.

So how in Hades were there no marks on his otherwise ribbed physique ?

As she tried to answer that question she noticed Q Junior collecting weapons from the others and storing them away.

The male cylon child.

He had to be a cylon and Six was certain that Starbuck and her husband knew that.

Which begged the next question.

What kind of alliance had the Thirteenth Tribe forged with the fleeing colonial fleet?

Then again where were Hera and Sharon?

Caprica's attention was brought back to the present when she realized that the female doctor known as Dr Grey was looking at her.

Apparently it was time for her medical.

The Number Six tried to smile calmly; for some inexplicable reason she had been riveted in place when Jean had spoken calmly to Lieutenant Novacek.

Six knew the former POW was a hair-trigger away from doing something stupid...like trying to attack someone and fleeing from this ship.

So she had been surprised and a bit alarmed when the blood had drained from his face as he listened to Dr Grey calmly tell him she could wipe his memories if he wanted ; then stated how his experience could 'strengthen' or 'destroy' him.

It was a simple speech; but the effect it had on Novacek was...intriguing.

"My turn for my medical," said Six smiling coyly.

Dr Grey did not return the smile; she had the professional expression that all medics wore.

"Yes it is, Miss Caprica Six..."

"You can call me Caprica," interrupted the female cylon with a smile.

Jean was silent as she indicated for Six to stand next to a bio-bed.

Though Six had watched her assess Baltar and Novacek; she was still unprepared for when the transparent horizontal bars slid from the side of the bed and moved upwards from her knees to her head area without touching her. Six stared at them in wonder.

The bars slid back in as Dr Grey looked at her PADD.

"Apart from mild lung irritation; you do not have any acute problems," she glanced at Six's blood splattered outfit.

"I expect you would like to change out of that; you may use that sonar shower.

No need to put it on because I have already done so."

Caprica stared at her. How had the doctor done it without moving from her current spot?

Unless it was remote controlled.

Dr Grey was still speaking.

"Here is a change of clothes."

Caprica collected what looked like a folded dark blue t-shirt ; black trousers and black ankle boots that suspiciously looked like they might fit her.

"Prison clothes?"

Dr Grey raised an eyebrow. "This is standard Starfleet issue casual wear; the option of being a 'guest' or a 'prisoner' is entirely up to you."

Though the doctor's words were delivered calmly there was underlying steel in her voice.

"And if I don't act like an honoured...guest?" asked Caprica with a lazy smile even though she wanted to ask what 'Starfleet' really meant.

Dr Grey stared at her before smiling coldy.

"I will put you to sleep for the rest of this journey."

Caprica's expression revealed her shock at the female doctor's blunt reply and the look in the woman's eyes stated that she was definitely not bluffing.

Was this Laura's mother? That would make a lot of sense.

"Now; do we understand each other?"

The Six forced herself to answer. "Yes."

She moved to go towards the showers; then turned back.

"Where's Hera and Sharon?"

Dr Grey's eyes narrowed as she studied the female cylon's face for a few moments.

"They are both well and Hera was successfully treated."

Caprica shut her eyes briefly to stem the tears that threatened to flow.

"Thanks; I will get changed now." Then she left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Dr Grey shook her head slightly as the female cylon disappeared into the showers.

"Don't let your guard slip around her Dr Grey."

Jean turned to see Anders had been watching them from where he stood next to Lieutenant Novacek.

"Why is that Mr Anders?"

The male colonial pilot answered carefully. "Caprica Six...is not to be trusted.

She is manipulative and very, very intelligent and from what we do know her model is usually quite adept at infiltration and sabotage.

In contrast; Lieutenant Sharon Agathon is the only cylon I will ever trust."

Novacek looked at him sharply; Anders turned to him and nodded slowly.

"That's right; we have another female cylon on board this ship; she's a Number Eight..."

Novacek stood up quickly; his voice harsh and his body tense as if he was about to fight or flee.

"Only dead ones can be trusted!..."

"How do you think we obtained so much intel ?" interrupted Anders "Sharon is a friend of mine; she saved my life; my wife's life and the lives of most of the 41,000 colonials who are currently trying to get to Earth.

Also she's married to Captain Karl 'Helo' Agathon, remember the man you met earlier?

And they have a little baby girl," Novacek's jaw dropped at those last few words.

"That's right; they have a child who is half cylon and half human; and just before we rescued you two; we had to rescue her as well from the cylons who had been keeping her for the past month."

Novacek sat down heavily; at loss for words.

"So before you do anything stupid just remember that we will not hesitate to stop you if you try to harm Sharon or her child."

Novacek stared at Anders for a long time.

"You're serious."

The Junior lieutenant nodded solemnly. "Like a heart attack."

_**Anders can be real subtle...I like his style.**_ Thought Phoenix with approval.

Meanwhile Baltar was still sitting on his bio-bed and looking around the medical bay; for the most part he was silent.

The poor man still thought he was dreaming.

His mind was almost fragile; the only thing that had kept him sane was that he was continually looking at his surroundings with the brain of a scientist.

How had they been 'transported' from the raider to the strange shuttle?

How had they 'jumped' without feeling the inertia effects that usually accompanied such speed?

How was the Thirteenth Tribe so advanced and who were...?

Jean stopped herself as she suddenly realized what she and the Phoenix had been doing.

_Stop it Phoenix! We are not supposed to be reading his mind!_

_**Relax love; I was only taking a peek.**_ Thought the entity idly.

Jean was saved from replying when Caprica came out of the sonic shower.

She looked clean and was now attired in the Starfleet casual wear the doctor had given her. She had tied her shoulder length blonde hair up into a ponytail.

Caprica looked down at herself and lifted one boot to inspect it.

"I must say that I am a bit impressed; everything fits. A pity that it's not more stylish."

Jean raised an eyebrow. "This is a combat vessel; not a holiday resort."

The doctor turned away without waiting for a reply as she reached for another pile of clothing and boots and handed it to a still stunned Novacek.

"I tried replicating a uniform along the lines of Mr Anders flight uniform; there are no insignia as I am not familiar with colonial rank symbols.

They will fit." Novacek wordlessly accepted the outfit and looked at it in surprise.

Even Anders looked a bit stunned. "That was quick."

Jean smiled at him before turning back to Novacek. "The bio-scans helped a great deal; once I checked you over I entered your details into the replicator and made the uniform and boots."

"You mean that box-like space in the wall that you went to earlier?" asked Novacek " I thought you got the clothes from inside it."

Jean nodded. "In a manner of speaking; I did the same thing for Dr Baltar but for Miss Six I guessed at her size."

_**Hello! I gave you her measurements.**_ _Thought Phoenix amusingly._

_And though that was inappropriate; I thank you for your assistance!_

Thought Jean in an irritated manner while she tried to keep her expression calm.

_**You're welcome**_. Replied Phoenix in an unrepentant gleeful manner.

Jean decided to ignore the voice in her head for a bit as she turned to Dr Baltar. She gave him a neatly folded light blue shirt with black trousers and comfortable looking shoes.

"These are for you Dr Baltar."

The former president of the 12 colonies received the bundle after giving a glaring Anders a nervous look.

"Em...thanks," he said in a soft voice.

Jean had an inkling of his unspoken question thanks to the incorrigible presence in her head.

"I will put on the sonic shower for both of you; you may go in when ready."

Both former male prisoners looked at each other a bit apprehensively; then looked at Caprica Six.

Jean had no problem interpreting that look.

The female cylon model had emerged from the sonic showers intact so it must be safe, but they still hesitated.

Caprica Six smirked. "Let me say; it's quite the experience.

No water but the gentle feel of sonic booms on your skin draws the dirt out and leaves you fresher than a daisy," then her smirk turned into a slightly evil smile " but I will understand if you are too nervous about using it."

It didn't take a genius to read between the lines.

In summary she was calling them both cowards.

Novacek glared at her and marched into the shower; Baltar even looked a bit pissed off and was not far behind.

Six turned to the two people watching her; a frowning colonial pilot and a calm looking female doctor of the Thirteenth Tribe.

"I had to show them it was safe," said Six in an innocent manner.

Anders snorted while Jean replied calmly.

"That's why I asked you to use it first."

This reply stunned the female cylon as she realized she had just been manipulated by the female doctor.

Was Dr Grey a cylon as well ?

She opened her mouth to speak but a soft baby's cry had everyone turning to the source.

Caprica automatically started moving then found herself frozen in place.

"Anders, please watch them for me while I find out what is going on," said Jean before she quickly walked away.

A few seconds passed before Caprica realized she could move again.

Before she could ponder the cause of her immobility, she heard Anders speak.

"Where exactly did you think you were going?" asked the male colonial pilot in a cold voice.

Caprica looked at him for a moment. "That was Hera's voice; I was concerned..."

"She's in much better hands now; definitely not your concern," said Anders curtly.

The female cylon stared at him in disbelief. "Do you realize what I had to do to keep her safe ?"

Anders laughed bitterly. "Frankly Six; I don't give a damn what sacrifices you made," his eyes were hard "what I do _care_ about is seeing you brought to justice for your crimes and as the Gods are my witness I will make sure of it."

Caprica was silent for a long moment.

"You really hate me don't you ?"

Anders shook his head.

"You don't know the half of it."

Six bit her lower lip and turned away from him; her attention was drawn by the gleaming white walls of the med bay and the different equipment that looked so different and advanced. She wished she could examine them.

But her instinct told her to bide her time; even if Anders was not armed, all that was needed was one cry of alarm and the captain and Dr Grey would be alerted.

Something told her Dr Grey was more dangerous than the captain.

But that had to be impossible.

Then another thought crossed her mind as she looked at the clean metal floor.

"Mr Anders; can you tell me if you had difficulty moving a few minutes ago when we heard Hera cry?"

She turned to see a puzzled look on the male pilot's face.

Apparently he had not expected that question.

"What are you talking about?"

Before answering Six looked down at her feet; wondering if the shoes were some sort of restricting device.

"I tried to move earlier but couldn't...now I can, was wondering if the same happened to you."

Anders face cleared. "No, it didn't," then he smiled "but I don't know what stopped you from moving.

My piece of advice to you is; try not to piss the crew of this ship off."

Something in his voice that was part respect and part fear made Caprica look at him.

"Why not?"

Ander's smile slid from his face as he looked at her with a solemn expression.

"Because they have 'unique' ways of expressing their displeasure."

Caprica said nothing because she had a strange feeling that Anders was telling the truth.

And that worried her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Once they had reached the medical bay; Helo had excused himself and gone to the cordoned off section where Hera had been operated on.

He had been so glad to see Sharon sitting on the bio-bed as she cradled a sleeping Hera in her arms.

Helo watched them for several moments before his wife noticed someone else was present.

"Hi," she said softly so as not to wake the baby.

Helo approached them as silently as possible; then leaned against the bed beside his wife's dangling legs.

She had taken off the body armour and was still in the black under leotard like top and tights. She looked so slight and fragile; which Helo knew she wasn't.

"Hi, love. How is she?" he whispered back.

At the moment; the baby turned her head slightly before but did not open her eyes then with an audible sigh the baby went back to sleep.

"Asleep ,well and safe," said Sharon in a soft content voice as she gazed at their child's face in wonder.

Helo nodded not trusting himself to speak; he felt relieved and guilty at the same time.

He had actually believed Hera had died soon after birth; had buried her and grieved alongside his wife.

He knew Sharon had never gotten over it but had felt powerless in being able to lessen her despair and grief.

Now all he wanted to do was hold both his wife and daughter and keep them safe.

Getting to Earth was now more important than ever.

Sharon turned to look at him.

"Karl; I need to ask you something."

"What?" asked Helo innocently.

"When were you going to tell me that you had the mutant gene?"

The colonial captain felt his throat go dry when he saw the irritation in his wife's eyes.

"Emm...I...how did you know?" asked the stunned captain.

Sharon narrowed her eyes. "From the moment Q Junior stated on the basestar that she had the mutant gene just like you. He assumed you had already told me."

Helo closed his eyes briefly while he swore internally.

"Sharon I can explain; we were going on mission. I did not think it was relevant at the time and I did not want to distract you."

The female cylon stared at him for a long moment; Helo felt cold sweat form on his brow.

Then her eyes softened.

"I understand; but please don't hide anything from me," she turned to Hera "I'm glad she has the gene...maybe it will help her fit in when we get to Earth."

Helo looked at her in surprise. "You wish to settle on Earth."

Sharon nodded. "I would very much like to; have you forgotten how people reacted when I was pregnant with Hera?"

Helo nodded reluctantly. How could he forget?

Many had called for her death before they realized she was pregnant; then when that went viral; most called for her abortion and execution in that order.

After all President Roslin had ordered it, but she cancelled the order when Dr Cottle and Gaius Baltar realized the baby's serum may save the ailing president.

"Imagine how they will react when they realize she is alive and well."

Helo swallowed nervously; the thought had crossed his mind.

"I spoke to Ensign Kadretti before you went on the mission; she said the Federation accepts all, mutant or not; human or non-human.

She's part klingon and human and carries herself with so much confidence...she has to be telling the truth."

Sharon was quiet for a while. "Perhaps...but I still think Hera having the gene will protect her in that new society. We just have to make sure we get to Earth first."

Helo nodded. "By the way; the entire away team is back..."

Sharon smiled a bit guiltily."I know; Xavier told me while you were in the cargo bay," then her face tightened "he also told me another cylon called Caprica Six and two other men called Novacek and Baltar had come back with the others."

Helo stared at her in shock. "He just told you?"

"Well I asked him what was happening and to my surprise he simply told me," she paused "I...think he's very smart Karl."

Helo felt a bit anxious. "Like a hybrid?"

Sharon shook her head. "Smarter than a hybrid..." her voice trailed off when she heard footsteps. Helo noticed she was now looking over his shoulder and turned to see who was approaching.

He was a bit startled to see Captain Logan and his daughter Laura.

Both had changed out of their body armour and were wearing identical outfits.

The captain's gaze was drawn to the sleeping baby in Sharon's arms and even Laura looked a bit curious.

"How is she?" asked Logan in a soft voice.

Helo tried to hide his surprise that the blunt spoken captain had a gentle bone in his body.

"Hera's well; just sleeping at the moment. The excitement must have tired her out."

Logan nodded then an odd look came on his face when he saw a cuddly toy on the bio-bed.

"Was that what Q-Junior gave her?"

Helo looked at the toy; he had forgotten about it until now.

"Oh that was a gift from Q? I had no idea, I was meaning to ask where you got the model of a razor-cat; they have been extinct for 2 millennia on the 12 Colonies..."

Laura walked over and picked up the toy. "You call this a razor-cat? This is called a 'wolverine' on Earth."

Sharon and Karl looked at Logan.

"That is your call sign isn't it captain?" asked a puzzled Karl.

Logan sighed. "It is. Anyway we will be debriefing soon once Jean and Q have finished with the others.

Lieutenant Agathon; you don't have to attend..."

"I do Captain, " cut in Sharon with a look of alarm on her face "just because I'm a mother does not mean I won't do my fair share."

Laura looked a bit sceptical; while Logan stared at her for a long time.

"That was not what I mean Lieutenant; however considering this is the first time you have spent this amount of time with Hera...I thought you might want more time with her before we plunge into the next disaster."

Sharon's face reddened; there was more to Captain Logan than she realized.

He saw more than he let on.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions; and also Karl and I are extremely grateful for helping us retrieve our daughter."

Logan's face softened a bit. "You're welcome..." the words were barely out of his mouth before Hera woke up and started wailing.

"What's going on?" asked Q Junior as he and Kara chose that moment to join them.

The hologram moved closer to the child and pulled out his tricorder to take a reading. The child kept crying.

"Observations normal; no sign of trauma or illness...she seems fine."

Laura winced as the baby's cries reached eardrum rupturing levels.

"She doesn't sound well."

Sharon looked flustered as she tried to calm the distressed child.

"What's wrong with her?" cried the female cylon in alarm.

"Nothing," everyone turned to see Jean had joined them, she had a wry look on her face "Hera is crying because of one simple reason...she's hungry."

Logan closed his eyes in relief; for one second he thought it had been his presence that had set the child off.

Jean walked to a nearby replicator.

"Captain Agathon, please observe as I prepare a meal for Hera. It's something you'll be doing a lot of in the future."

Karl grinned. "Amen to that," he walked up to Jean and watched as she programmed a milky drink for his hungry daughter.

Everyone watched as Jean showed Karl how to check the temperature of the drink by dropping a few drops on the back of her hand.

Karl tried it and when he was satisfied it was not too warm; he gave the bottle to Sharon.

Once the rubber nipple touched the baby's mouth; the cries stopped.

Logan looked at Jean in wonder. "You've done this before?"

Jean smiled. "Oh yes; a story for another time."

Logan stared at her and for a moment found himself marvelling at her intelligence, strength and beauty.

He loved her so much; but she deserved much better...not someone like him.

Jean noticed his stare and gave him a quizzical look. "You okay?"

Logan opened his mouth to reply but Starbuck got there first.

"Well since you're here I better give you a heads up about the newest cylon bi...female model on board."

The female colonial pilot had been about to swear then remembered in time that Dr Grey really hated anyone swearing around the 'children'.

Even Sharon had given her a warning stare.

"You mean Caprica Six," added Sharon.

Kara gave her a surprised look then looked at Karl.

"I see Helo has already told you."

"Yeah," said Karl quickly before his wife corrected Starbuck.

Sharon gave him an odd glance before concentrating on the female pilot.

"Good; we can't let her know Q Junior is a hologram. At the moment she believes he is a cylon."

Everyone stared at Kara.

"Why hide?" asked Laura as she folded her arms and stared suspiciously at Starbuck.

The pilot responded by turning to Q Junior.

"Please answer this, is your program not reprogrammable?"

Q Junior stared at her for a long moment. "Yes, it is."

Sharon closed her eyes briefly as she swore silently. "Caprica Six is the best in hacking and reprogramming."

Kara nodded. "If she gets her hands on his programming or on the AI of this ship...we will all be in a lot of trouble."

"Then why is she on board in the first place?" asked Dr Grey as she turned to face the captain.

Logan sighed. "She helped us get Hera off the ship and also helped us find two colonials POWs."

"Dr Gaius Baltar and Lieutenant Novacek," supplied Kara.

"As well as helping us get off the basestar," added Laura.

"In return she wanted to come with us," concluded Logan.

Jean held her jaw thoughtfully. "Are you sure she's not got an ulterior motive to crossing over to the other side?"

Kara laughed bitterly. "Six? I bet she does but she's smart, very smart and also very dangerous. I would recommend her being but in your brig until we get to the Galactica then the Admiral would take it from there."

Logan looked at her sharply. He heard the anger and hate in the pilot's voice.

Whatever plans Kara had for Caprica would involve a lot of pain.

"No." The firmness of his voice startled Starbuck.

"I accept that she is not to be trusted but she asked for our help; we got her out but I will not allow her to be tortured by your superiors."

Kara stared at him in shock. "You have no idea what she's done..."

"She's part of the force that destroyed your homeworld; imprisoned your people; tortured them and caused untold suffering.

Yes; you're right I have no idea what she's done; I cannot empathize because I was not there but I gave my word and I intend to keep it," said Logan firmly.

Kara glared at him for a long moment before she turned away.

"However you're right about hiding Q's real identity," conceded Logan, he looked at the silent hologram.

"Can you hide your holoemitter?"

Q Junior who was still in his body armour form nodded slowly.

"I can merge it with my form."

"How?" asked Helo with a curious look on his face.

"Like this," said Q Junior. He taped a short sequence on his emitter which changed his form to the red and black Starfleet uniform then he pressed the circular emitter until it seemed to sink into his right shoulder.

Within seconds the emitter was gone.

"But this is going to create problems when we get back to the Galactica; your commanders are going to want to know why I'm hiding it."

"Leave that to us; once we explain I think they will understand," said Sharon as she shifted her arms slightly to accommodate the still feeding Hera.

"You need to inform Ensign Kadretti before she let's something slip," added Kara in a neutral voice.

"She's not that dumb," said Laura in a calm voice.

Logan raised an eyebrow. He was all too aware of how Laura viewed anyone new with suspicion. Maybe the stunt Ihuoma Kadretti had performed with the shuttle had impressed his daughter.

Laura's trust issues seemed to be improving.

"We'll tell her," said Q Junior "however before I dash off to engineering I need to do a quick scan on Captain Logan and Laura."

"They haven't had their medicals?" asked Jean with a glint in her eyes.

"Nope," said Q Junior cheerfully.

Jean sighed and took a tricorder from the cabinet by the bio-bed.

"I'll check the captain while you check Laura."

"Aye aye Dr Grey," said Q Junior politely as he approached Laura who was glaring at him.

"I'm fine," said the female teen tensely.

Q Junior held up both hands in surrender. "I know you are; just need to be sure because I'm going to need you in engineering."

The frown on her face was replaced by a sceptical one. "Oh really?"

"For real," said Q Junior as he took quick scans as she stood motionless.

"All's good; no injuries at all. See? That was quick."

Laura just smiled dryly at him.

Logan knew protesting was out of the question as Dr Grey approached him with a medical tricorder.

"You're feeling okay Logan?" asked Jean as she ignored the stares from the colonials.

"Yeah; I'm fine," he answered as she scanned him.

"Hmmm, anyway while I'm doing this I might as well tell you that I found something interesting while checking Mr Novacek."

Kara's head came up at her last words.

"Like what?" asked a worried Logan.

Jean completed the last scan before answering.

"He's got the mutant gene and it's active."

"What?" asked a stunned Helo.

Sharon and Kara's mouths were slightly open in shock.

Jean nodded. "When I scanned him; I noticed he had some lung tissue irritation but it was healing 5 times faster than that of normal human tissue.

His rapid healing factor may be his mutant ability."

"Like mine," said Logan in a grave voice.

Kara stared at him. "Like yours?"

It took a while before Logan answered. "That is one of my abilities; I heal very fast...that's how I survived the metal bonding to my bones."

Helo's face paled; he suspected it had been a very painful experience.

"Does he heal as fast as me? Does he have any claws?" asked Logan.

Jean shook her head. "He's much slower than you and there are no claws.

Probably his healing factor is what helped him survive the 8 years of captivity."

Logan frowned. "Perhaps."

"What of Baltar?" asked Kara with some trepidation in her voice.

Jean shook her head. "He doesn't have the gene and neither does Six if that was your next question."

Kara looked relieved at her answer.

"Anyway there is something else you all need to know," said Q Junior as he put back his tricorder into his tools belt.

"Most of you know that the cylons are tracking the fleet through devices that were embedded in the three vipers and three raptors that returned from Hera's planet."

"And I lost one of those vipers to that damn anomaly," said Kara in a faint voice.

Q Junior nodded silently.

"How did the cylons get the trackers on board those ships ?" asked Sharon as she paused feeding Hera for a few moments then continued when it seemed the child was still hungry.

"Cylon raiders fired at the escaping ships with small penetrating trackers that stayed dormant for 8 hours before being activated.

Once activated they sent out the first sub-space signal which lasts for 45 seconds which is long enough for the cylons to locate the fleet.

A repeat signal was to be sent in alternate cycles of 4hrs or 6hrs or 8 hrs," Q Junior continued calmly "from the data I collected; the next signal will be sent in 6 hours and 3 minutes."

"And our ETA is?" asked Dr Grey.

"7 hours 59 minutes and 10 seconds."

Kara resisted the strong urge to swear. "We'll be getting there more than an hour late!"

Q nodded. "Which is why I need to try and speed up the ship."

"We're already at maximum warp of 9.64," stated Laura in a worried tone.

Q Junior looked at her. "I can safely keep the ship at warp 9.70 for exactly 4.5 minutes and that will increase our speed and get us there at least 30 minutes before the next signal." He turned to Logan.

"Captain, permission to go to engineering and speed us up."

Logan looked at the boy; he sounded confident...besides he had built the entire ship.

"Do it."

Q nodded and looked at Laura. "We could get Oma and Rogers and bring them up to speed as well about Caprica."

"Fine," said Logan without hesitation "we'll be on the bridge; report there when you're done.

There's still debriefing to be done."

Q Junior and Laura nodded and took off at a quick walk.

Logan turned to the others.

"Lieutenant Thrace; Captain Agathon , Caprica Six, Mr Baltar and Lieutenant Novacek will be guarded by you since you know them most but please try not to harm them."

"I'll be joining the debriefing as well," said Jean quietly but firmly.

Logan smiled at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

Oma placed the last piece of bloodied armour into the sonic cleaner.

She had decided that she might as well get everything cleaned and locked up especially with the new guests on board.

Leaving body armour and weapons around was a security risk.

It took only 25 seconds before the last armour piece was clean; then she removed it and took it to a locker that Rogers was standing beside.

He had completed his own small pile and had arranged it neatly inside the open locker.

"That's the last piece," said Oma as she reached past him to put the clean and dry armour inside the locker that was identical to the ones she had seen on board the USS Dunkirk.

She reached out to input a new lock code then hesitated and turned towards Rogers. To her relief he had already turned away and was looking at the ceiling.

Oma put in the new codes and smiled when the small screen indicated it was now locked.

She coughed discreetly so that he could turn round; his face was still a bit red. Oma decided to ignore it.

"So what now?"

"We join the others; I'm sure the captain would want a debriefing as soon as possible," replied Oma calmly.

She started to walk back to the main medical bay and the ensign followed her unaware of her thoughts.

Oma was very apprehensive about what was going to happen next.

Had her acts in fact worsened the situation between the cylons and the Federation?

Was she actually helping to start a war ?

Inside she felt numb about the fact that she had destroyed a resurrection ship.

Now that she thought back on it; she wished she hadn't.

Obviously that ship was very important to the cylons.

"Ensign Rogers...what's a resurrection ship?"

The colonial ensign looked at her for a few moments.

"It houses clones of the cylons; when a cylon dies , it's mind is downloaded into a new body with all memories intact.

That's why those ships are so important; with it a cylon can live forever."

Oma was quiet for a long time.

"You feel guilty for destroying the resurrection ship, you shouldn't be."

Oma looked at him. "Why, because you're at war with them?"

Rogers did not back down from her accusing stare. "No; because if you hadn't we would be dead.

We only wanted to collect the away team who were on a rescue and intel mission. If you had only taken out a basestar they would have sent more raiders but once you targeted the resurrection ship...they pulled back and gave us precious time which we used to escape."

"They will be out for blood when next we meet," said Oma softly.

Rogers sighed sadly. "They destroyed the 12 colonies in one day Ensign Kadretti.

They have been out for blood since day one and I'm certain they have the same plans for Earth as well."

Oma looked at him with a startled look but he was not done yet.

"It doesn't matter whether you blew up a resurrection ship or not.

To them Earth is the 13th colony of Kobol and they want to find it just as much as we do."

Oma was silent for a long time as she walked; then she looked up and saw the other female cylon.

"What do you know about Caprica Six?"

Rogers followed her gaze. "She's a model six; known for infiltration and sabotage. I saw her cylon models around a lot on New Caprica; they scared the crap out of me whenever they appeared but not as much as the Number Fives who are men."

"What were the model Fives like?" asked Oma as she kept watching Six.

"The apparent leader of that group is Aaron Doral and he is one sadistic bastard.

People disappeared whenever he was on patrol with the centurions and most never came back," Roger's voice shook; he stopped and took a deep breath.

Oma looked at him in alarm as she saw the distress on his face.

He must have lost someone.

"I'm sorry; I did not mean to remind you like that."

Rogers shook his head and looked at her with eyes that suspiciously looked a bit wet.

"It's...okay; it's just that we lived each day in fear, thinking it was our last.

No one knew who was going to be taken next then the Galactica came back and we were able to escape. We all thought it was a miracle...and then...and then we met the Xavier."

Oma was captivated by the reverence in his voice.

"For the first time we felt the Gods had really heard our prayers."

Oma felt a bit uncomfortable at the light in his eyes; she personally believed in respecting other people's beliefs but the Academy had taught her how quickly a less developed civilization could regard a more developed civilization as it's saviours or the bringers of the apocalypse.

So she had to tread very carefully.

"The Federation's primary aim is to promote peace; they will offer negotiations first. Please do not expect them to exert revenge for you."

To her surprise he smiled sadly. "Somehow I am happy to hear that Earth succeeded where we failed."

Oma gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Roger's gaze went to her ridged forehead. "The people of Earth looked beyond differences in race; religion and cultures to establish the Federation...a place where anyone is welcome."

Oma was even more alarmed. "We're not perfect Rogers."

He shook his head. "But you're close to it...the Gods have been good to you."

His last words were said with warmth and not a hint of jealousy.

Oma suddenly realized how blue his eyes were; then she shook her head quickly.

"Em...l would like to ask Six some questions."

Rogers gave her knowing smile; he had noticed her reaction earlier.

"Fine; just be careful around her. She is not to be taken lightly."

Oma nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX

Caprica was aware of when the dark-skinned girl with snow white hair and ridges on her fore head approached their small group.

The young girl was now dressed in a black and red outfit that had to be a uniform. Six noticed the gold like emblem shaped like an arrowhead with a small star in the centre.

The uniform looked more flattering than the colonial uniform and the girl certainly looked exotic and seemed attractive even with those distracting ridges on her forehead.

Poor child; it must be a deformity of some sort.

The girl walked up to them as Lieutenant Novacek and Baltar emerged from the sonic showers.

The two men stared openly at the girl and Ensign Rogers; then Novacek gave Anders a questioning look.

"Lieutenant Novacek; this is Ensign Ihuoma Kadretti of Earth and this is Ensign Billy Rogers of the Galactica," said Anders.

"Pleased to meet you," said Baltar as he approached to Ander's surprise. The scientist stuck out a hand.

Oma stared at it in surprise but took it all the same. "Nice to meet you."

Gaius grinned. "You were surprised at what I just did; I expect this greeting is used on Earth."

Oma nodded. "And elsewhere as well."

"Like where exactly?" asked Six innocently.

Oma's face darkened as she looked at the female cylon.

The cylon sighed dramatically. "Let me guess; someone talked about me," she looked at Rogers.

Oma frowned. "You are the second cylon I have met and just recently a couple of your people were trying to blow up the shuttle with us inside it. So forgive me if I am a bit cautious."

Caprica nodded. "Well answered; so I guess the deformity on your face has in no way affected your intelligence."

That was followed by dead silence and even Six realized she had said something inappropriate by the rage that had appeared on Oma's face.

The female Starfleet ensign reached up and slowly brushed her front hair away so that the ridges could be seen clearly.

"This is not a deformity but a clear indication of my klingon heritage which I wear quite proudly."

Six looked puzzled. "Klingon?" then she looked at a gleefully smiling Anders.

"Ensign Kadretti is part human and part klingon.

The klingons are warrior aliens who are close allies with Earth."

Not that close thought Oma but she was not about to correct him.

Six gave him an incredulous stare. "Aliens? You have got to be kidding."

Even Novacek and Baltar gave the Junior Lieutenant stunned looks.

However Rogers was openly glaring at Six.

"He's right; Oma is part klingon and part human and you also just insulted her."

Oma glanced at him. He looked incensed.

Six took one look at him and turned back to a still furious Oma.

Now that Caprica looked quite closely she could see that what she took for exotic features were more alien that human.

"Oma..."

"Ensign Kadretti," corrected Oma and Rogers at the same time in cold voices.

Anders turned away so as not to laugh at the stunned look on Six's face and the synchronized answer from the two ensigns of different militaries and planets.

"Ensign Kadretti," began the female cylon again.

"I apologize for my words."

Oma stared at her for a long time. "Accepted."

Then she took a deep breath as if trying to reduce the tension in her shoulders.

"Why exactly do the cylons want to find Earth?"

Six looked a bit surprised at the question; then a speculative light came into her eyes. "Earth is your home; is it not?"

Oma maintained eye contact. "Yes; it is."

Six folded her arms and stared at her for a long moment.

"The Sacred Scrolls of Kobol stated that Earth is the Thirteenth Colony of Kobol.

Now Kobol is the birthplace of the humanity and humanity gave rise to us; there was a war on Kobol and the Gods drove the 13 tribes from it.

12 of them settled close to each other while the 13th settled on Earth" she glanced at Anders "to the Colonials; Earth is a paradise and is believed to have been blessed by the Gods."

She turned back to Oma.

"But to us; it has an entirely different meaning.

Earth is our birthright and we are only returning to claim the home of our forefathers and birthplace of our One God."

Oma's eyes narrowed as she tilted her head to one side.

"How long ago did the Thirteenth Tribe leave Kobol for Earth?"

Anders watched the two women with a look of apprehension on his face.

Novacek and Dr Baltar kept silent as well as Rogers.

Caprica seemed a bit taken aback by the odd question. "About roughly 4 millennia ago...you speak as if Earth was already existing before they got there; the Thirteenth Tribe created Earth."

Oma stared at her for a long time. "Well I hate to be the one to tell you this; but Earth had already been occupied by my human ancestors for the past 150,000 years.

Earth is the birthplace of humanity...not Kobol."

There was shocked silence at her words.

"Fascinating," said Baltar in a stunned voice.

"That's blasphemy!" said Novacek in shock.

The male scientist and former president gave him an exasperated look. "Weren't you the one you stated earlier that you no longer believed in the Gods?!"

Novacek pointed at Oma. "She just said that everything our priests and oracles have told us is a lie!"

A still stunned Caprica saw the girl wince. "That was not my intention but I speak the truth whether you wish to hear it or not."

"Do you have evidence to back your words?" asked Dr Baltar.

Novacek rolled his eyes in frustration.

"If you mean documented evidence; then yes and there are even fossilized remains that date back 100,000 years.

Some of that evidence is in the data-base but the rest will be on Earth."

"You will grant us access to this database?" asked Caprica suddenly.

Oma gave her a scathing look. "That will be the Captain's decision."

Caprica opened her mouth to speak.

"Ensign Kadretti, Ensign Rogers," everyone turned to watch Q Junior and Laura walk up to them. There was a mark of urgency in their steps.

"We need you two to assist us in engineering if you don't mind," said Q Junior politely.

Oma and Rogers shared a quick look before she answered.

"No problem."

"What's going on?" asked a worried Anders.

Laura looked at him. "We need to speed up so that we can get to the Galactica before cylons; after that we'll join you guys for the debriefing."

"We need to go now," said Q Junior urgently.

The other three followed him without another word.

Caprica watched them go with a hungry light in her eyes; she was looking particularly at the cylon boy.

She so wanted to speak to him but that was almost eclipsed by the need to study the engines of this ship and also it's database.

Six turned back to find Anders was studying her with a cold expression.

Somehow she knew he had an idea of what she was thinking.

Caprica said nothing; she would bide her time and soon enough she would get what she wanted.

That was always how it worked out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX

"Okay; now we're far away from them; why do you really need us in engineering?" asked Rogers once they got to the turbo-lift.

Q Junior and Laura shared a small smile. "He's smart."

Oma raised an eyebrow. "You didn't really need us in engineering; did you?"

The lift came to a stop and Q Junior got out before answering.

"Oh we do; but we need to tell you guys something else as well."

Rogers was hardly paying attention; he was looking at a long shielded column of bluish light that was at the centre of a spacious room.

The column was roughly 24 feet high and 5 feet wide; there was a soft almost hypnotic humming sound that seemed to come from it.

What Rogers was unaware of was that the warp core spanned three decks and he was only seeing less than a third of it.

There were three consoles surrounding the column and numerous coloured display screens on the walls.

The room looked nothing like the main engineering of the Galactica; that was cluttered and barely being held together with only Zeus knew what.

But this was clean; looked brand new and in top condition.

How in Hades did they fly the Xavier with so few crew?

"Come in Ensign Rogers; are you with us?" asked Q Junior loudly as he brought Rogers back to real time.

"I...I'm sorry; I was just so taken by...this," he said as he waved at his surroundings.

Oma had a worried look on her face. "You alright Rogers?"

He nodded. "Yeah; I'm fine...so what were you saying Ensign Q?"

Laura answered. "Lieutenant Thrace advised us not to let Six know that Q is a hologram. She already thinks he's a cylon."

It didn't take long for Rogers to figure out why. "Of course; I should have thought of that."

"Excuse me?" asked a puzzled Oma.

Rogers turned to her. "Caprica Six is known for infiltration and from what we know she's one heck of a programmer," he glanced at Q Junior uneasily " and I guess it would be a disaster if your program ends up in her hands."

Oma opened her mouth and closed it as if trying to pick her words with care.

"You want us to lie to her."

Laura gave her an incredulous look. "Sweetheart; this is not the time to worry about the small details; do recall that we are now at war with the cylons.

Even though she helped us; I don't trust her."

"We don't have to lie," said Rogers hastily when he saw how Laura's words seemed to bother Oma. They all looked at him.

"We just don't tell her; she already thinks he is a cylon so we keep letting her think that way."

Q Junior sighed. "Look; I don't like this anymore than you do; but I see why Starbuck is concerned."

Oma took a deep breath; then nodded. "Fine; I won't say anything."

The hologram had a relieved smile on his face. "Cool; anyhow what's going to happen now is that I need to speed up the Xavier to warp 9.7."

A look of alarm appeared on Oma's face. "A Defiant's class max speed is 9.5."

Q shook his head. "That is for most Defiant class ships; this one's max speed is 9.64 and I can keep it at 9.7 for exactly 4.5 minutes."

Oma looked at the warp core with concern on her face.

"You could damage the warp core and endanger everyone on this ship."

Laura glared at her.

"You're right," Q's voice was calm "I could; which is why you three are going to help me calibrate the warp drive and also assist in watching the monitors. If this is done carefully; the ship will be safe and we will arrive at least 31 minutes before the next transmission."

"You're figured out the intervals between signals?" asked Rogers.

Q Junior nodded grimly as he started pressing symbols on one of the display screens on the wall.

"Yes and we have to work quickly."

Q Junior turned to Oma. "I need you to keep an eye on the stress modulators; once I remove the safety protocols it will..."

"Indicate the risk of a core breach occurring," cut in Oma smoothly " basic warp design is taught at the academy Q." She was already standing at the left console beside the core and scrolling through read outs.

Q Junior nodded absently. "Nice," he looked at Laura.

"Please monitor the effects on ship's systems..."

"The ship systems?" interrupted Rogers with a look of alarm on his face.

"Yes," said Q Junior patiently as he walked to the middle console by the shield warp core "before we can get to warp 9.7; I will have to increase it gradually and divert energy from the weapons energy reserves.

This will also cause a considerable strain on certain systems.

This strain can be increased by several factors; one such as a hasty increase in warp speed past the safety margins and also spatial anomalies," he paused "which I doubt we would encounter a second time.

However in view of things not usually going according to plan; I need Laura to watch the monitors. If there is any indication of catastrophic failure of the core or ship systems...I will stop the procedure."

Oma had a grave expression on her face. "If you try to stop it rapidly that could also lead to disaster."

Q Junior looked at her with a solemn light in his eyes. "I know; I intend to be very careful."

The hologram touched his com-badge.

"Engineering to the bridge; this is Q Junior."

"_Q; what's your status?" _answered Captain Logan.

"We're about to start; in exactly 30 seconds I will disable the safety protocols.

Please be aware that there may be a significant strain on basic systems; energy will be diverted from weapons energy reserves to increase the warp speed and I would recommend powering down unnecessary systems at this point.

Permission to do so from engineering captain."

There was a brief pause before Logan replied.

"_Permission granted; I will maintain us at yellow alert."_

Q Junior chewed his lower lip as he answered. "Thank you; captain."

He looked at the others and Laura and Oma were at their stations. Rogers was standing in the middle of engineering and looked as if he was praying.

"Well here goes," said Q Junior under his breath as he pressed the final symbol.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

_**The bridge...**_

Jean was worried; she had heard the hidden worry in Q Junior's voice and she was certain Logan had heard it too.

But once again; they didn't have a choice.

She turned to see Kara was also watching her with a concerned look on her face.

Helo, Sharon, Hera and Anders were with Dr Baltar; Six and Mr Novacek in the captain's waiting room.

To everyone's relief; Novacek had not tried anything when he saw the model eight cylon and the child in her arms.

He had looked shocked; then angry but a meaningful look from Anders had him keeping silent.

Hera at the moment was resting peacefully after being well fed.

But everyone was nervous; because it didn't take a genius to know that what Q Junior was about to attempt was dangerous.

"It will work, won't it?" asked Kara in a nervous voice.

Jean nodded while she tried to project confidence. "Q Junior is the expert in this area...if he thought it was too dangerous to attempt; he would not try it.

He will not endanger us unnecessarily."

Kara bit her lower lip as she nodded slowly; her mind was on the fact that Q Junior was taking power from the 'weapons energy reserves' to speed them up. She sure hoped they didn't turn up to meet the cylons defenceless.

"He's a smart kid," she said in an absent tone not noticing the odd look that appeared briefly on Logan's face.

"You just called him a kid," said the captain softly.

Kara was startled for a bit as she realized what she had done.

"Well...I guess his programmers are pretty good at what they do," said the female pilot.

Jean and Logan glanced at each other briefly.

"You could say that," said Jean in cryptic tones.

Kara frowned and was about to ask a question when she was interrupted by someone else.

"_Captain Logan_," called Xavier _"warp speed has increased to 9.65; energy has been diverted from non-essential sections of the ship._

_Warp Core is currently stable."_

Logan nodded; he looked at the ceiling. "Xavier; Give me ship wide."

"_Yes, captain."_

"This is Captain Logan; Ensign Q Junior has initiated speeding up the warp speed.

However I would advise everyone to be seated and alert in case we experience difficulties during this procedure." He sighed off and looked at Jean and Kara who had quickly resumed their seats.

And now we wait thought Logan solemnly as he looked at the viewscreen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

"Warp 9.66,"reported Q Junior as he increased the warp speed

"Warp containment holding," called Oma as she kept an eye on her console.

"Life support systems stable; other essential ship systems stable," added Laura from her own console.

Rogers kept his eye on the visible chronometer on the wall; it would start to count down once the speed reached to warp 9.7.

The male ensign's heart was beating so loudly that he was sure everyone could hear it. There was this feeling of dread that was building up but he had no idea what to do with it.

"Warp 9.67," said Q Junior calmly.

"Containment holding," came Oma's calm reply.

"Systems stable," reported Laura.

"Warp 9.68."

Rogers wasn't sure if he was imaging it but he thought the soft humming of the core had just gotten louder.

"Containment still holding."

"Systems still stable."

"Warp 9.69."

Rogers' eyes narrowed; the hum was definitely building up in volume; even Oma looked up briefly.

"Containment stable."

"Systems still stable," came Laura's calm report.

Rogers looked at Q Junior and was just in time to see him take a deep breath.

"Warp 9.7."

The hum began a whine.

This time Oma's report was a bit hesitant.

"Containment...holding."

Q Junior let out a slow breath as Laura also reported.

"Systems still stable."

Rogers looked up at the chronometer; it had started counting down.

"Bill; how long do we have?" asked Q Junior without turning round.

"4 minutes and 11 seconds."

Rogers swallowed nervously; it may be a few minutes but it felt like centuries.

Q Junior tapped his com-badge; Rogers noted absently that for a hologram Q Junior looked a bit pale; as if he was very nervous.

However his voice remained calm.

"Engineering to the bridge."

"_Status; Q?"_ replied Captain Logan.

"We're at warp 9.7; we have exactly 3 minutes and 59 seconds to go.

Core containment has remained stable and systems are also stable."

"_Good work Q."_

Rogers saw the hologram smile weakly at the praise.

"_Stay alert and let us know if we can assist."_

"Yes captain," said Q Junior.

He spared a glance for Laura. "Now; all we do is wait."

Rogers knew he should be feeling relieved but why was the sensation of dread building up in his chest ?

He wanted to say something; give some sort of warning.

But he had no idea what was coming.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

The ship known as _'Xavier'_ hurled through space at a record breaking speed of 9.7 for this particular Defiant class.

Unknown to the crew on board the ship; there were engineers in a particular arm of Starfleet that would give certain parts of their anatomy to be able to examine the warp core and nacelles of this particular ship.

Defiant class ships had a class 7 warp drive with a maximum speed of 9.5; Starfleet engineers were trying to improve the warp speed of this class that Commander Thomas Riker had once identified as 'tough little ships'.

It had been created for battle against the Borg but had done it's fair share and then some during the Dominion War.

However none of the 'mild' modifications that Q Junior had built into the ship could prepare it for what was about to happen.

As the Xavier sped past a particular region of space; a spatial anomaly formed and the ship flew a little too close to it.

This of course affected the delicate work currently occurring in main engineering.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

The feeling of dread was so much that Roger almost felt sick.

"Q...something is wrong."

Oma and Laura looked up from their consoles and both frowned at him.

Q Junior took his eyes off the chronometer; they had 2 minutes and 5 seconds to go.

"What do you mean..."

"_Spatial anomaly detected; executing emergency stop to avoid contact,"_ warned Xavier before the ship was suddenly shaken violently and everyone went flying.

Q Junior's feet left the floor at the same time he saw Rogers fly towards the warp core.

The hologram rapidly calculated that if the colonial ensign hit the shielded core at the angle he was currently at ; it would result in a broken neck and skull and most likely cause instant death.

Q Junior reacted without thinking and somehow managed to reach out and grab the young man's jacket as he pulled him sideways.

Q Junior turned in a split second so that the colonial pilot would land on him; thus cushioning Roger's fall.

It was over in a manner of seconds and the klaxons were blaring all over the ship.

Rogers tried to get his breath back before realizing he was on top of someone.

"You guys okay?!" yelled Oma in alarm. Rogers looked up at her.

He was so relieved that she was unharmed; but what he had failed to witness was her using her ability to avoid being smashed into the shielded core face first.

"Q!" called Laura in alarm; she had a bleeding cut on her forehead.

She had not been so lucky; when the ship stopped abruptly she had hit her control panel face first and thus sustained a cut on the left side of the forehead and a mild concussion which was rapidly resolving.

Thus her eyes were clear and lucid.

Already the cut on her forehead was closing as if being glued by an unseen hand.

"I'm okay," said a muffled voice from a body beneath Rogers.

Laura and Rogers helped the colonial pilot off the hologram. Rogers was speechless because he was watching Laura's injury heal itself rapidly.

Was that part of her mutant ability ?

Q Junior stood up with a pull from Oma.

"And Rogers; you're welcome," said the hologram in a dry voice.

Rogers tore his eyes away from Laura's face. "I...I am...I mean thanks for preventing me from hitting the core.

But what happened ?"

Instead of answering, Q Junior had walked up to Laura. "You okay?" the concern in his voice was obvious.

"I'm fine..." began Laura.

"_Q! What the hell happened? Are you kids okay?"_ Interrupted Logan's gruff voice which could not hide the worry behind it.

Q Junior looked at everyone who nodded quickly.

"We're okay sir," Q Junior quickly walked back to his console; he started restoring the safety protocols as quickly as possible "Xavier just initiated an emergency stop; that's usually done if warp use is unsafe."

"_Like if there's a huge obstacle in the way?"_

Q Junior's hand froze over the console. "Is there something in our way?

"_Yeah, it's back."_

Q Junior and Rogers shared a worried look.

"What?" asked Ensign Rogers and Q at the same time.

"The anomaly," said a frightened Oma as she stared at the sensor display on the wall.

"Captain; what's our proximity?" asked Q Junior anxiously.

"_It was 75,000 metres when we abruptly came out of warp but Jean has taken us to 115,000 metres using impulse power only._

_My systems state I can't use the warp drive at the moment; can you fix it?"_

Q Junior looked at his systems. "Oma; status of the core?" he asked crisply.

"Containment holding; apparently the abrupt shut down did not affect it."

Q Junior closed his eyes briefly as a profound sense of relief filled him but he quickly resumed his systems check of the warp drive.

"With the rapid shutdown; the warp drive has gone into standby mode which will last at least 45 seconds."

He did not see Oma's expression of shock.

From the little she knew of warp drive construction; standby modes usually lasted minutes or hours.

What kind of ship had Q Junior built?

Q Junior kept speaking. "We are extremely lucky that the warp drive is not offline but we can only go up to warp 8.9 safely once the standby period is over but I would advise us doing it at a great distance from the wormhole and at a gradual increase.

How are the others on the bridge captain?"

On the bridge, Logan looked at a shaken Kara who had returned from the ready room with a worried looking Anders. Both gave him a thumbs up sign.

Logan frowned a bit when he saw Novacek, Baltar and Caprica Six were also with them; but he did not move from his seat because the two former POWs and the female cylon were staring at the anomaly on the viewscreen.

He was a bit pleased to see it scared the onlookers.

"_A bit shaken but we are okay; Jean kept all of us from breaking any bones."_

Logan looked at the doctor who was at the helm; she had acted quickly and used her telekinesis to prevent everyone from injuring themselves.

Q Junior released a sigh of relief.

"_How much distance do you need?"_

"A proximity of 250,000 metres should be safe enough to go to warp 2; then we can increase it gradually."

Rogers looked up to see a sad look on Oma's face but the female Starfleet ensign nodded silently at Q Junior as if showing that she understood.

She knew that the colonial refugee fleet's safety was paramount here.

Rogers felt so proud of her; without thinking he walked up to her and looked intently into her face.

"Thank you," he said in a low voice.

Oma was startled but she did not take a step back.

"Em...you're welcome."

Both totally missed the wry smile on Laura's face.

"_People,"_ called Logan. Something in his voice made them all look up.

"_It's gone."_

Q Junior frowned. "Already?"

"_Yeah and this time it was bigger and more violent. We were lucky not to have been caught in it's gravitational pull._

_Nothing came through this time though."_

The four young people looked at each other.

"_Q; we need to go to warp, how long were we able to stay at 9.7 before this thing showed up?"_

"Only 2 minutes and 25 seconds; we cannot attempt it again because a huge strain has already been placed on the warp core and we drained half of the weapons energy reserves for just that short period of time."

There was silence for a while.

"_We're going to need weapons when we get to the fleet,"_ said the captain solemnly.

"Yes sir," agreed Q Junior gravely " however on the other hand; if we increase to warp 8.9 in the next 5 minutes we will be getting to the fleet at least 15 minutes and 4 seconds before the next transmission."

"_That's not enough!"_ protested Kara.

Q Junior sighed " we push the warp drive higher than 8.9 and I promise you that we won't make it. I cannot take that chance."

There was silence for a few moments before Captain Logan spoke.

"_We understand, good job people._

_Report to the ready room when you're satisfied that systems are stable."_

"Aye aye captain," said Q Junior politely before sighing off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

_**Somewhere in the datastream...**_

The Number Three known as D'anna Biers knew what it was to die and 'resurrect'.

She had done 'both' so many times that she had lost count.

But soon after her recent 'demise' she realized something was different.

Each cylon model who entered the datastream knew they would download after a short period; but the experience for each model was different.

Some seemed to be blissfully unaware of their 'journey' through the datastream to their new bodies.

While the others tried to see what the 'datastream' or as some had described it ; what 'limbo' looked like.

D'anna was of the later group; usually it was filled with an inky blackness which was lit by a bright white line on which she stood.

This bright line moved rapidly and all D'anna had to do was stay on it until it reached it's final destination which the Number Three always saw as a brightly lit door.

Once she opened this door ; she was in her new body and woke up shortly afterwards.

However this time; D'anna noticed something she had never seen before.

As the line moved; she saw that to her extreme left were a group of people; they must have been about 60 to 70 metres away but yet she could tell they were five in number and were looking downwards.

D'anna did not know when her feet left the white path and she began to approach the five figures standing in a distance.

As she got closer she started to make out certain features.

The five were wearing hooded long white cloaks; she could not tell if they were male or female or even human or cylon.

But she knew they were important.

She could see they were looking at something on the ground.

From far away it appeared to be a revolving ball but what was it exactly?

D'anna suddenly had a sense of urgency; she had to get there quickly.

But then she realized that the five were somehow moving away from her the faster she walked.

D'anna started running but the distance just increased.

Then she looked down and saw that she was on the white line once more; somehow the line had found her and was taking her back to the door which would lead to her new body.

But this was more important; there was a secret here that she had to know.

D'anna tried to reach out with her hands and suddenly she was hurtling down the white line to the door.

She started to scream.

Then she opened her eyes suddenly and also tried to take a deep breath but ended up coughing violently.

The Number Three knew she was now in her new body; waking up as if one was drowning was what she hated most about downloading.

It was a right pain in the arse.

D'anna felt her eyes water as she coughed up more fluid; then she felt steadying hands and a blanket placed around her naked shoulders.

The female cylon looked up into the eyes of a Number Eight physician.

But she was not alone; behind her were armed Number Five copies.

They all looked very upset.

D'anna hid an internal sigh.

Cavil must have sent them to take her custody.

"W...which ship am I on?" asked D'anna in a raspy voice that she absolutely hated. That was due to the downloading.

"The Alria," said the Number Eight; she looked at the silent Number Fives behind her.

"I'm afraid they will be taking you into custody."

D'anna waved her apology away.

"Not your fault ; I understand..." D'anna never got to finish her sentence as the Alria was suddenly shaken violently.

Everyone, even the Number Fives looked a bit startled.

"What's happening ?" asked D'anna with a growing sense of alarm.

The Number Eight was already at the nearest monitor.

"I don't know! It looks like we were hit by..." her voice trailed off when she saw the alarming message on the screen.

"What?!" demanded D'anna as she tried to stand up.

Then the resurrection ship shook violently as an explosive chain reaction started and in less than a minute the entire resurrection ship was destroyed.

Along with a recently resurrected D'anna.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

D'anna opened her eyes again and knew she was back in the datastream.

She stared at her feet; she was once again on the white line.

Something had destroyed the Alria; part of her realized it had to have been the work of Captain Logan and his team.

But how and why ?

Then D'anna's attention was once again caught by the five figures in a distance.

D'anna did not hesitate; she got off the line and began to run towards the small group.

Once again ; she realized the distance between her and the group was getting longer instead of shorter. She stopped running and began to walk steadily towards them and then the distance began to reduce.

D'anna shook her head as she walked; she should have realized that the first time.

Distance and time in the datastream defied the laws of physics.

What you thought you knew was an illusion; here things worked differently.

However; despite this knowledge she still wanted to run to the figures because she knew she was running out of time.

This was due to the fact that the resurrection technology had a failsafe.

If a 'dead' cylon did not resurrect within a certain time frame; the system would forcefully revive the cylon.

It was hardly needed but D'anna guessed who ever had designed the system had done so in order to prevent cylon minds from getting lost in the datastream.

But in this case; it could prevent D'anna from finding out about the small group of people in a distance.

D'anna felt a sense of urgency as she got closer to the group; she suppressed the strong urge to run to them as her feet got her closer.

Now; she could see the colour of garments they wore; it was a simple robe which was light brown.

D'anna unthinkingly picked up the pace but instead of getting closer; the figures began to recede.

"No! No!" said D'anna in dismay.

"_Emergency revival initiated."_

The Number Three looked up at the voice of the Resurrection ship's Hybrid.

D'anna felt her heart sink and she tried running towards the group of five people; but before she could take three steps she felt herself being jerked suddenly towards the white door.

She opened her mouth to scream once more.

And woke up coughing and gasping for air.

She spat out the clear fluid that had a few minutes ago nourished the dormant clone she had been downloaded into.

As she blinked several times; D'anna felt strong but gentle hands lift her from the resurrection tank and a warm blanket put over her shoulders.

Once her vision was clear; D'anna saw the Number Eight who was observing her with a worried look on her face.

"For a moment there; I was concerned about your transition; it took longer than expected and the fail safe had to be activated."

D'anna took a deep breath. "Wish you hadn't done that."

The Number Eight looked puzzled as the Number Three stood up shakily and looked around.

"I'm surprised that there are no guards to take me to Cavil."

The Number Eight expression turned to one of alarm.

"Guards?"

D'anna shook her head. "Get me some clothes; I am sure they will be along shortly. How goes the rest of the fleet?"

"I...I am not entirely sure what is going on," answered the Eight as she gave D'anna some clothes that were nearby.

The Number Three looked at her sharply as she rapidly put on a grey jumpsuit. "The Alria was attacked and possibly destroyed; now we have only two such ships remaining.

Surely _that_ is reason enough to know what is happening around you."

The Number Eight model's face turned red. "I...I..."

D'anna ignored her when she heard hurried steps.

She looked up to see four armed Number Fives approaching her.

"About frakking time," muttered D'anna under her breath as she put on flat shoes that the Number Eight had thoughtfully placed beside the tank.

She was drying her hair by the time the guards reached her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

_**The basestar...**_

D'anna was silent as she marched between her guards.

She had not protested or resisted; she knew Cavil and the others must be in an uproar.

A basestar had been infiltrated in a way they had not forseen and the intruders had escaped.

A resurrection ship had also been destroyed during the escape.

And D'anna was yet to fully absorb that bit of news.

Her mind was still on the five figures in the datastream; something told her they were very important than the destruction of an irreplaceable resurrection ship.

And the more she thought about it; the more she wondered if it was related to the 5 ancient resurrection tanks she had seen on the monitor in Cavil's personal labs.

But what could she do with such information?

She wished Caprica Six was still with her; she would know what to do.

D'anna's mind returned to the present when her escort came to a stop just infront of a conference room.

One of the Fives turned to her. "They are waiting."

"Thanks for the escort," said D'anna dryly as she walked into the room.

The noise died down immediately she entered.

All the models were standing; D'anna hid a sigh of relief when she saw Natalie.

Thank the One God that she was back!

Right beside her was Leoben Conoy; he looked relieved to see her.

Boomer's face was expressionless.

Aaron and Simon appeared worried

Cavil on the other hand looked as mad as Hades.

He got right to the point.

"D'anna; give me one good reason whyyou shouldn't be boxed."

Natalie and Leoben gave him shocked looks; while Boomer actually smiled a little.

D'anna did not waste time in answering. "The Thirteenth Tribe has cylons...just like us."

Cavil's lower jaw dropped; for the first time he was struck speechless.

As much as D'anna wanted to savour the moment; she had to strike while the iron was still hot.

"One of the intruders was a cylon from Earth; his name is Q Junior and he hacked our systems as if they were nothing."

"That is not proof !" protested Aaron.

D'anna looked at him. "He alone was able to use our semi-liquid interface; we all know that such technology is incompatible with humans."

Everyone looked at each other.

"Boomer; did you witness this?" asked Cavil as he looked at the Number Eight.

"No," answered D'anna before she could talk " this occurred while he hacked into the mainframe in the CIC."

Simon's eyes widened. "You just let that happen?"

"They had guns pointed at me ," said D'anna heatedly "and also I wanted more information about the cylon child so that we could capture him alive for questioning."

"Which you failed at," said Aaron icily.

"Yes, I did fail because one of ours was about to kill him; if that had happened we would have lost an opportunity of speaking with him and finding out about Earth."

"What about the other?" asked Natalie " were they cylons as well?"

"I'm not sure," answered D'anna " the other two were a father and daughter called Logan and Laura.

Logan is the captain of the Xavier..."

"The captain and his daughter...that little girl were part of the rescue?" interrupted a stunned Leoben.

D'anna stared at him. "You have watched the recordings; have you not?"

Leoben looked at a fuming Cavil but answered.

"Some of the centurions black boxes are still being put back together for use to get an idea of what happened...but the little we have seen is disturbing."

D'anna turned towards Cavil. "I resurrected first on the Alria; how was it destroyed?"

Cavil's face wrinkled up as if he had tasted something vile. "The rescue team were the ones responsible."

Natalie shot him a nasty look. "Oh you played your part in it alright."

D'anna looked at her fellow cylon sister. "What do you mean?"

"That is not important..." began Cavil but Natalie spoke over him.

"Dear Cavil has been working on a new weapon...an anti-matter nuke and he programmed the raiders to jump into the shields of the enemy ship and once that was done the ship detonates it payload."

D'anna winced as she envisaged the destruction such a suicide act would cause.

But Natalie was not done.

"Then suddenly, the ship flung one of raiders towards the Alria and _that_ was how one of our three irreplaceable and highly valuable resurrection ships was destroyed!"

The last piece was almost said at a shout and Natalie looked ready to take Cavil's head off.

To his credit the Number One did not flinch.

"Considering the effect the new nukes had on their shields; I would say that they are very effective weapons. Is that not so Aaron?"

The Number Five answered as if on cue. "The new nukes work beautifully."

D'anna saw Natalie turn her murderous glare on the Number Five cylon model.

"What did you do to the programming of the raiders? They are not supposed to attack a ship with a cylon in it and Six was with them," added Leoben.

Cavil and Aaron shared a significant glance.

"We made a few modifications in order to improve offensive capabilities..."

"Modifications?!" hissed D'anna as she quickly realized what the two male cylons had done "you added more directives to their programming; that is almost the same as lobotomizing them !"

Cavil raised a finger. "Ah; we have not gone that far; but we may have to if the situation worsens; however let's return to the real matter on the table here.

You helped the intruders."

"I didn't," said D'anna tartly "they already had a map of the entire basestar and took us as hostages."

Boomer took an angry step forward. "You expect me to believe that."

D'anna gave her a cold look. "Personally; I don't frakking care what you believe.

You wanted to kill Hera; considering how Caprica Six and I feel about her, are you that surprised that Six blew your brains out?"

Natalie, Leoben and Simon gave the Number Eight horrified looks.

Aaron just rolled his eyes ; while Cavil rubbed his forehead as if he had a migraine starting.

Boomer opened her mouth to talk.

"Don't say you were bluffing Boomer; I know you very well. You were ready to snap the child's neck! The only cylon child born to us in the history of our existence!"

To say D'anna was pissed was the understatement of the year; if she had a gun nearby, Boomer would be resurrecting again in a few minutes.

"What about Caprica?" asked Leoben "why did she go with them?"

D'anna turned away from the silent Boomer. "I'm not sure; but if I know Caprica; it was properly for information.

I think we should wait for her to contact us..."

"We will do no such thing!" yelled Cavil "in case you have forgotten; they destroyed one of the three resurrection ships we have remaining.

That is apart from infiltrating the basestar and hacking into the mainframe and only the useless Gods know what else they did to the Hybrid!"

D'anna didn't think Ensign Q Junior had harmed the Hybrid but Cavil was in no mood to listen.

"We will go after them and teach them a lesson; all those in favour?"

Simon; Aaron and Cavil raised their hands; the Number One looked at Boomer for a long time and then eventually she raised her hand as well.

D'anna, Natalie and Leoben looked at them in shock.

"We are acting too hastily here; we still have not repaired all the damage done to this basestar and we still don't know what exactly happened in the CIC..."protested Natalie.

"The decision has been made,"cut in Cavil " four against three; we will take 6 of the basestars to engage the colonial fleet and the Xavier."

D'anna stared at him. "You intend to attack them using the new weapons you have created."

"Oh; how perceptive of you Miss Biers," said Cavil acidly "once the next transmission is sent in the next 5 hours and 49 minutes we will heard for the new co-ordinates; until then I suggest you all get ready for war."

Cavil immediately walked out of the room; followed by Aaron and Boomer.

After a few long awkward moments; Simon hurried out after them.

D'anna leaned against the table as she finally allowed her fatigue to show.

"You look wasted," said Leoben in a concerned voice as he walked up to her.

"I agree," said Natalie "maybe we should get one of the medics to check you over..."

D'anna held up a hand. "We don't have time; this whole...thing is wrong!

We should not be attacking the Xavier and it's crew; Cavil is making a big mistake."

The Number Six model looked at her closely. "Is there something else we need to be concerned about?"

D'anna laughed bitterly. "Where does one start?

If the Thirteenth Tribe has truly aligned itself with the Colonial refugee fleet then we are well and truly frakked and what also worries me is what Cavil is really up to.

One moment I was sure he was going to try and judge me on the spot; then he decides to concentrate on war with Earth!?"

Leoben looked confused. "What do you mean?"

D'anna was silent as several thoughts ran through her mind.

The five figures in the ancient resurrection tanks kept coming to mind.

"I don't know; but we need to find out before Cavil destroys us all."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

_**The Xavier...**_

Logan turned as the turbolift opened; he hid a sigh of relief as Q Junior; Laura; Oma and Rogers stepped out of the lift.

As he looked at them; he was suddenly reminded of the young mutants he had helped train briefly at Xavier's school for the gifted and also of some of it's teachers.

Q Junior sort of reminded him of Kitty Pryde; his boundless energy and ability seemed just like hers.

Oma was a young Storm; her ability to take charge and improvise was impressive and also let's not forget that she had Magneto's abilities

Rogers was a bit like Charles Xavier; the idealistic Professor and head of the school. He could picture Charles and Rogers sitting down to discuss amicably about intellectual things. Rogers was a peacemaker; like Charles had been.

It was a pity the Professor had died so tragically.

And Laura; reminded Logan of himself.

Logan shook his head slightly; this was not the time to get moody.

"All's good?" asked Logan.

Q Junior nodded. "Warp drive is stable; we're at 8.9 and the systems appear satisfactory," the hologram paused.

Logan could tell there was something else worrying the male ensign. "Something on your mind, Q ?"

Q glanced quickly at Rogers before answering.

"I need to speak privately with you ,Dr Grey, Laura and Ensign Kadretti sir."

Logan's eyes narrowed while Oma and Laura gave him puzzled looks.

Rogers looked a bit surprised then slightly hurt when he realized he was being excluded.

Q Junior turned to him. "I apologize for this; but this concerns Starfleet security and you are not cleared for this information."

Rogers looked less hurt by the explanation as he nodded.

"I understand."

"Where's Jean?" asked Laura.

"In the ready room with the others," answered Logan.

"I'll get her." The female teenager walked quickly to the conference room.

The silence was surprisingly comfortable as they waited for Dr Grey to come back with Laura; Rogers nodded at her before he left the five of them alone.

Jean had a puzzled look on her face.

"Why did I just get pulled out from the ready room? Did anyone get hurt?"

Logan inclined his head towards Q Junior.

"Junior wanted to talk privately."

Jean frowned. "This private talk is going to make them suspicious."

Q Junior sighed wearily. "I know; but this is really important; it has to do with what I found in the basestar datastream."

Laura stood up straighter as Oma folded her arms and concentrated on the hologram.

"Before I go any further; I need to ask your permission to give Oma the full information of the holographic message we discovered on Hera's planet."

Logan looked at Q Junior for a long moment; then turned to Laura and Jean.

Both of them nodded.

Oma who looked worried, was wise enough to keep silent.

"Tell her," said Logan calmly.

Q Junior turned to the female Starfleet ensign.

"Remember the planet where we first met the colonials and cylons?

It was called Hera's planet and had a temple which was the location of a transmitting beacon. In that temple was a 2000 year old recorded holographic message."

"What was in this message?" asked Oma warily.

"Five people left a message; two women and three men.

They were escaping from a destroyed planet known as Earth."

Oma's eyes widened. "Destroyed?! That's impossible! Earth is still where it is!"

"And you are right and so are they," said Q Junior calmly "however this planet that was destroyed is also called Earth and those five people were the last of their race; we think they were cylons...who happen to be the Thirteenth Tribe of Kobol."

Oma looked at the four people in front of her.

"I...I don't understand."

Q Junior continued looking at her. "Please; listen to me very carefully."

He went on to give her a condensed history of the War on Kobol ; the expulsion of the thirteen tribes of Kobol and the exodus of the Thirteenth Tribe and their arrival on their new homeworld.

Once he was done, he gave her time to absorb the news.

Oma rubbed her forehead. "Two Earths? How why...?"

"It's won't the first or last time that more than one planet share the same name," answered Q Junior.

"The reason this has not been discussed fully with the colonials is because of the impact it's going to have on their religious beliefs."

"Too late for that," muttered Laura dryly.

"But the other reason I am bringing this up is because of those five messengers; we have seen people who are identical to them in this current timeline."

Oma gave him a sharp look.

"What do you mean?"

"You will understand better when you eventually watch the message; however to put it simply, there is someone on board this ship who looks exactly like one of the messengers."

Oma's heart was in her mouth as she thought of a particular blond male ensign.

"Who?"

"Junior Lieutenant Samuel Anders," answered Q Junior.

Oma was relieved it was not Rogers but was shocked it was Anders.

"Could he be a descendent?"

"That was a possibility; until we saw the other four 'messengers' among the colonial fleet," said Logan "then Anders had his medical."

The captain looked at Jean who had a grave expression on her face.

"He's a cylon Oma."

"Knew it," said Laura dryly.

The female ensign's eyes widened. "What?! That is not possible!"

"Oh yes; he is," said Q Junior solemnly " and it gets even better."

"While I was hacking into their mainframe; I found a private lab of one of the male cylons called Cavil. He had 5 cryo tubes which contained 5 cylons; two women and three men.

I checked the features and names of the cylons in those tubes and one of them was Anders."

There was dead silence at his words.

"Now that is news," said Laura with a mild look of surprise on her face.

"Captain," called a dazed Oma "you suspected this before he got on board this ship and before the mission. So, why did you let him board?"

Logan was silent for a while. "He tried to protect Q and Laura when they were shoved into the airlock; he also tried to protect the Xavier when his CAG wanted to nuke us to kingdom come.

He seems like someone who would not stab me in the back," he looked at Oma " and while we were on the mission; he didn't let us down one bit.

This is going to sound odd; but the two people I trust the most among the colonials are Sharon and Anders.

And they are both cylons."

Oma had no idea what to say to that.

"He doesn't know what he is," said Jean "I...we checked, the Phoenix and I; but he does not remember...he doesn't even know that he has lost a huge chunk of his memory."

Oma opened her mouth then closed it.

Reading one's mind without permission was wrong; surely Dr Grey knew that.

_**I had to check Oma.**_ Said a voice in her head and somehow she knew it wasn't Jean Grey talking.

_**So; I was wrong...I accept that; but this is my family, I have to keep them safe.**_

_**Is there anything you would not do for your family Oma?**_

Oma found her mind replying; no, if she had to die for her family she would but there was a line that one must never cross.

_**Charles would have loved you in his class**_. Then the presence was gone from her mind; Oma glanced at Dr Grey who was looking at her sadly.

"So; what do we do now?" asked Laura with her hands folded across her chest.

"Captain, permission to speak freely," said Oma as she tried to keep her voice calm.

Logan looked at her for a few moments. "Go ahead."

"We should tell him...if someone has wiped his memory and made him think he was something else...it is only right that he is told the truth."

The captain of the Xavier stared at her for a long moment.

"What of his superiors? Do we tell them as well? These people hate the cylons...they might kill him if this gets out."

Oma had no idea what to say to that.

"We leave that option in his hands," said Laura to everyone's surprise.

"Anders strikes me as the kind of guy who follows a moral code. I bet you that if we tell him he is a cylon...he's gonna run to the Admiral and spill the beans," Laura paused " even if it means his own death."

Logan was quiet for a long time. "If it were me...I would like to know," he sighed "it's going to be very hard for him to accept."

"We show him the whole message then," said Q Junior.

"And expose the other four as well?" said Dr Grey.

Laura shrugged. "We might as well; because I agree with Oma on this one."

Oma felt surprised that Laura was supporting her.

"There is something odd about that message and also the fact that five bodies on that basestar look exactly like Anders and the others but D'anna and Caprica Six knew nothing about what was going on in Cavil's labs."

Logan narrowed his eyes at that. "They didn't know ?"

Q Junior nodded. "They certainly did not acknowledge Anders as one of their own and seemed just as shocked to see the tubes in Cavil's lab.

In fact D'anna and Caprica were asking me to identify the bodies in those tubes!"

Logan looked at his daughter who was also nodding her head; backing up Q Junior's report.

Logan chewed his upper lip; then he sighed.

"I have taken all that you have said or not said," he looked at Jean "in consideration but I think...it's time we had a private chat with Junior Lieutenant Anders."

He stood up from where he was leaning against a console.

"But we have a long overdue debriefing to attend; after that we can have the '_other' _discussion. Any objections?" he looked around.

Everyone was quiet.

"Fine; let's get this meeting over with," he turned and walked into the ready room with the others not far behind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

**Hi everyone; hope you have all been having a great weekend.**

**So sorry about the delay; laptop battery died so had to get a new one!**

**Hope you have all enjoyed Into Darkness; the new Star trek movie; it is awesome!**

**Have a great weekend and please read and enjoy.**

**Thanks everyone for your reviews and advice.**

**See ya in abit!**


End file.
